New program funds energy efficiency improvements for social housing

TORONTO — The new GreenON Social Housing program will help upgrade energy efficiency in social housing apartment buildings with fewer than 100 units across the province.

Through the Green Ontario Fund, a non-profit provincial agency funded by proceeds from the province’s cap on pollution and carbon market, improvements will include upgrades to energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, windows, lighting and insulation. These renovations will also improve the living conditions for low-income and vulnerable tenants and the long-term sustainability of buildings, indicates a release.

“Renovating older social housing buildings not only helps fight climate change, it improves living conditions for low-income and vulnerable tenants,” said Chris Ballard, minister of the environment and climate change, in a statement. “These upgrades are made possible through capping the greenhouse gas pollution businesses can emit and investing the proceeds from our carbon market, through the Climate Change Action Plan, into projects that reduce harmful emissions and make life better for Ontario residents. Increasing energy efficiency also means we can reinvest savings from lower utility bills back into further improvements.”