[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6160088,"mediaKeyId","5451235-268fa2b53221f7213101336f32308aca","parentId",5451235,"title","City office seeks pilot to retrofit multifamily housing for lower bills and resilience","audioSeconds",1225,"startMs",5398125,"endMs",6623993,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5451235-268fa2b53221f7213101336f32308aca&start=5398&end=6623","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5451235-268fa2b53221f7213101336f32308aca/thumbnail_5398125.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6160088/Honolulu-City/Honolulu-County/Hawaii/City-office-seeks-pilot-to-retrofit-multifamily-housing-for-lower-bills-and-resilience","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6160088-2e663d80f0775873aa65e78410f40624/orig.mp4?Expires=1770826699&Signature=GQ7AHYr15Gg5jswd3jFCtxdVwqdQw41Ljv82gqFLkp5LAIifwdegsQylV7A6TGEZFjRxUKpO6SOlSRRyqPIOg0~0jKd5Gp3d71TuUAvpEuNR8JiWvK4X93YqRv5s7EjI8CdsWPuLINh4xX7P0ZN-MUqI9ujPs7BOm2EJEW~Sv7lKr0-R3HfYwYGTUSZvWnPgXB4DtL-VH2mflvRg642-2uo20OgN~Buum3EpxiRU5v5EWmpH0z0y6pLrtZw~R8GvRJYZ2ElE2qQwv9xurlw0elK8L0bDgwa3~XJGpvR3E0zwQb6x2Kppkjo~etjHaOU2-OTdArcS7jh6i4tx4X1dcw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Honolulu, HI","date","2025-07-21T19:01:58Z","article","The Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency (CCSR) briefed the council committee on Wednesday about a proposed pilot program to help retrofit multifamily buildings and lower utility costs for residents.
Director Ben Sullivan said his office is designing an “affordable green housing retrofit” program that would aggregate federal rebates, utility incentives and potential low‑interest lending to enable building‑level retrofits — especially in multifamily stock from the 1960s and 1970s that Sullivan said is overdue for upgrades. Sullivan framed the work around a core question: “how do we help Oahu residents reduce their utility costs?”
Sullivan and staff described opportunities that include heat‑pump water heaters (the presentation cited a $1,750 federal rebate component for qualifying replacements), equipment rebates from Hawaii Energy, and financing mechanisms such as Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy and Resiliency (C‑PACER) and programs through the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority. The office said the federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and related programs could pay for hardware and deep retrofits but noted some federal incentives and tax credits are uncertain or have been scaled back nationally.
CCSR’s approach emphasizes multifamily buildings because building‑level measures can capture longer‑term savings for tenants and owner‑occupants and because many existing multifamily units house lower‑and moderate‑income households. Sullivan said the office is looking to pilot the program in the coming fiscal year, with staff funded to do market analysis, identify eligible measures and partners, and test recruitment strategies for owners and homeowners associations.
Sullivan said the program will seek to stack resources — federal rebates, Hawaii Energy incentives and targeted lending — to close the upfront cost gap that often prevents building owners from undertaking upgrades. He said CCSR will coordinate with state agencies, the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority, Hawaii Energy and local partners on program design and pilot selection.
What’s next: CCSR will return with a program design and pilot plan for committee review; federal and state funding availability will affect design and the scale of early pilots.
","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2025-07-22 Energy Environment & Sustainability","oneSentenceSummary","The Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency told the council committee it is designing a pilot program to help multifamily and condominium buildings finance retrofits that lower utility bills and increase resilience.","taxTitle","Honolulu City, Honolulu County, Hawaii","taxId",61746,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6160098,"Honolulu committee presses city on heat preparedness; annex resolution postponed, cooling-centers plan advanced",2173,224575,2398038,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5451235-268fa2b53221f7213101336f32308aca&start=224&end=2398","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5451235-268fa2b53221f7213101336f32308aca/thumbnail_224575.jpg","/articles/6160098/Honolulu-City/Honolulu-County/Hawaii/Honolulu-committee-presses-city-on-heat-preparedness-annex-resolution-postponed-cooling-centers-plan-advanced","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6160098-b06d3991cd50171d9ace47d4b08633fb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770826699&Signature=mneqkJutc8r2QReItSQPmCbgkc-MS83hKprv8vU-VV~o7l7GuRrCH3cO1d75R85I4hPWuWa29To6wpM-jR07Bb6FaxTh4nkoFn6j~Kj1wf5pm1af0gpbt65070H3KhoakCTEWlyLrZbe2HBl~~cqAka75JeMjzkhSfYPOO8JN5evvPvoABd2L6ZLPZOKilXJzYK6mhmu4n59LXwFCPOCkIPXtZJvfrT6A9jhi~DTw3woSP0snWiqSzFnBwfFn-47JAhfLGmuHrBCZBD1a7TPqtARrcJ6l9T7DtsCeF09ONGG~sDZ2tI82HwlV-myQnTrQsEl69p~2vFfGScCpM4K6w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City and County of Honolulu committee on Energy, Environment and Sustainability on Wednesday advanced a resolution asking the city and the Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission to study the feasibility of establishing cooling centers, while deferring a separate resolution that would ask the administration to create a dedicated heat-hazard annex to the city’s emergency operations plan.
The resolutions grew out of Action 12.4 of the city’s Climate Action Plan, which recommends planning for extreme heat. Committee members and witnesses said heat risks are increasing and identified older residents and people without air conditioning as populations of concern.
The committee postponed Resolution 25‑201, which would have requested that the administration develop a separate heat-hazard annex to the city’s emergency operations plan, and instead asked the chair to set a future date for additional information and discussion. The committee then recommended Resolution 25‑202 for adoption, asking the administration and the Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission to investigate cooling centers in Honolulu.
Department of Emergency Management staff told the committee their planning is intentionally “hazard agnostic” and that existing emergency‑operations frameworks can cover heat incidents. Molly Pierce, public information and education officer for the Department of Emergency Management, said the department “supports … preparedness” but expressed concerns that, based on National Weather Service forecasts, a heat emergency threshold that would automatically trigger an annex is not likely to be met on Oahu in the near term. Pierce said DEM is open to public‑education campaigns and to working with other offices on where heat planning best fits.
Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency Director Ben Sullivan told the committee his office supports having a heat‑hazard annex in principle and emphasized the different roles of his office and DEM: CCSR focuses on long‑range preparedness while DEM handles operational activations. Sullivan said his office is launching a heat action planning and awareness campaign and expects to continue coordinating with DEM.
Public testimony supported planning and cooling centers. Angela Young, testifying for the community group CARES, urged the committee to review model annexes such as Sacramento County’s and to take steps that would help agriculture and vulnerable residents. Committee members asked DEM about triggers and notification systems; DEM staff described two alert systems — the federally regulated Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA), reserved for immediate life‑safety incidents, and HNL Alert (an opt‑in Everbridge platform) used for broader preparedness messaging. DEM staff said HNL Alert can carry more detailed guidance and that the city can send messages to subscribers without using the WEA “squawk.”
Committee discussion also addressed host responsibilities for cooling centers and city support for community partners. Director Sullivan said CCSR has drafted materials to help community entities stand up cooling centers — including suggested resources, potential liabilities and operational guidance — and that the city could encourage community partners to open designated locations on hot days even if those locations are not operated as part of DEM’s emergency response.
Outcome: Resolution 25‑201 (heat‑hazard annex) was postponed to a future date determined by the chair. Resolution 25‑202 (cooling centers feasibility) was reported out of committee for adoption.
What’s next: The committee expects additional information from DEM and CCSR on thresholds, notification triggers, public education and an implementation plan for cooling centers before final adoption of any annex or program. Council members signaled interest in follow‑up briefings and written responses from the administration.
","The City and County of Honolulu committee on Energy, Environment and Sustainability advanced a study of cooling centers and postponed a separate request to create a heat‑hazard annex to the emergency operations plan, citing a need for additional information about triggers and which city plan would be the appropriate home for heat planning.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6160091,"Honolulu adopts multi‑year sewer rate package; city outlines CARES assistance, conservation outreach and integrated‑planning next steps",1939,2380245,4319715,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5451235-268fa2b53221f7213101336f32308aca&start=2380&end=4319","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5451235-268fa2b53221f7213101336f32308aca/thumbnail_2380245.jpg","/articles/6160091/Honolulu-City/Honolulu-County/Hawaii/Honolulu-adopts-multiyear-sewer-rate-package-city-outlines-CARES-assistance-conservation-outreach-and-integratedplanning-next-steps","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6160091-aad5d5d7f56f24c58d4f4c301e2f3b0c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770826699&Signature=nP9xOyRdRuL5ef3c5Pyh7A3~po6Mw2JDI6~yos4dq8Kd2etm72nqp7clcHrVfR9sZoi453ISKzVQ1w-hKDYJof10w5AuRklOhOSBcoe165XFfRsJkV4ce920Pv6INm9hGz8jipujMuaoubtDdR~SZ-P1OPzO4PgfJn50lXizIW2uAfbhjSTgTQ1NGAaNbgjV6R~pdzRvGxmmExGqinMk6cFaQes-Kx2HKR0Z8fQpHca0bLoxgqWoLar-7whbFX~j5MN8jNdEMy1JLEx8QNX2bIyOCGZy~BvrbnQG~D-D~rsI1OOjWeRawDJAGVwBqsUBOuJVwI85nCQ3oDIkDXiabA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Environmental Services on Wednesday briefed the Council committee on a multi‑year sewer rate package that city officials said was designed to fund operations, maintenance, capital projects and anticipated debt service while shifting costs to encourage conservation.
Director Roger Babcock summarized the adopted package (Bill 60, which the presentation identified as Ordinance 205‑27) as a multi‑year rate plan that reduces the monthly base charge initially while increasing volumetric rates over time so that customers who use more water—and therefore generate more sewage—pay a larger share of system costs.
Babcock said the current single‑family base charge is $77.55 per month and that under the adopted schedule the base charge will fall to $63.55 on Jan. 1, 2026 and to $48.27 on July 1, 2026 before rising gradually in later years to $73.92. The volumetric charge (per 1,000 gallons) is currently $4.63 and is scheduled to increase under the package (the presentation lists increases to $7.95 and $11.83 in later years, and the schedule reaches $18.11 per 1,000 gallons by July 1, 2031 in the adopted plan).
The department presented sample bills to illustrate the distributional effects. For example, a low‑use household consuming about 2,000 gallons per month would see a current monthly total of $84.96, an estimated decrease to $76.27 on Jan. 1, 2026 and to $67.20 on July 1, 2026 (department figures). Higher users—workers with larger households or commercial customers—will see larger percentage increases because the volumetric charge represents a greater share of their bill under the new structure. Babcock summarized the policy intent: “If you use less, you save more.”
Customer assistance: Babcock described a CARES (Customer Assistance for Residential Environmental Services) program to offset the impact on lower‑income households. The draft design would offer a credit to eligible residential customers who make at or below 80% of area median income; the department is considering a base‑charge credit around $20 (the presentation noted $20–$25 as options) and said using a $20 credit would extend eligibility to more households. The CARES rollout will require an application, a web portal, outreach and technical assistance; the department said it plans to issue an RFP for an initial contractor to stand up the program and that long‑term administration would move in‑house.
Outreach and conservation: DES said it will run a public information campaign beginning this fall, including a rate calculator on the department website, mailers, town halls, social media and collaboration with the Board of Water Supply on conservation tips. The department emphasized measures residents can take to reduce bills, including submetering and graywater reuse.
Integrated planning and permit priorities: DES outlined an EPA‑recognized integrated planning process that aligns wastewater and stormwater priorities to maximize water‑quality benefits and to optimize capital spending. The department said its feasibility study identified priorities such as cesspool conversion, watershed management, green infrastructure and water reuse; a full integrated plan funded in the current fiscal year will include public engagement and will be submitted to the state Department of Health and EPA for approval.
What’s next: DES plans to begin CARES intake after a short procurement, finalize outreach materials and launch the public campaign ahead of the first January 2026 rate step. The committee asked for follow‑up details on eligibility, the RFP schedule and coordination with the Board of Water Supply.
","The Department of Environmental Services briefed the council committee on the recently adopted multi‑year sewer rate package (Bill 60 → Ordinance 205‑27), explained the CARES customer‑assistance design and a public outreach timeline, and described an integrated planning process involving EPA and state agencies.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City office seeks pilot to retrofit multifamily housing for lower bills and resilience

Honolulu committee presses city on heat preparedness; annex resolution postponed, cooling-centers plan advanced

Honolulu adopts multi‑year sewer rate package; city outlines CARES assistance, conservation outreach and integrated‑planning next steps