Topic: Energy — Conservation
Subject: Housing and community development
Date: 2009-05-07 00:00:00

Green Resources for Energy Efficient Neighborhoods Act of 2010 or the GREEN Act of 2010 - (Sec. 3) Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to establish annual energy efficiency participation incentives to encourage participants in HUD programs to achieve substantial improvements in energy efficiency. (Sec. 4) Establishes basic HUD energy efficiency and conservation standards for residential single family or multifamily structures. Requires the Secretary to identify and adopt energy efficiency requirements, standards, criteria, or rating systems applicable to nonresidential structures that are constructed or rehabilitated with HUD assistance. Establishes energy efficiency and conservation standards and green building standards that provide for greater energy efficiency and conservation in structures than required for compliance with energy efficiency standards, that provide for green and sustainable building standards not required by such standards, and that can be used in connection with federal housing, housing finance, and development programs to provide incentives for greater energy efficiency and conservation and for green and sustainable building methods, elements, practices, and materials. (Sec. 5) Requires the Secretary, for multifamily housing projects for which project-based rental assistance is provided under a covered multifamily assistance program, to carry out a program for no fewer than 50,000 dwelling units in 5 years to demonstrate the effectiveness of funding a portion of the costs of meeting the enhanced energy efficiency standards. Prohibits amounts made under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 from being used to carry out such program. (Sec. 6) Amends the National Housing Act and the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 to require the Secretary, in applying underwriting standards for mortgages on single-family housing, to consider the impact on the income of borrowers under Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgage insurance programs, loan guarantee programs, and Native American and Native Hawaiian loan guarantee programs of savings on utility costs resulting from energy efficiency standards established by this Act. (Sec. 7) Amends the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to require the Secretary to: (1) establish a commission to develop and recommend model mortgage products and underwriting guidelines that provide market-based incentives to incorporate energy efficiency upgrades and location efficiencies in new mortgage loan transactions; and (2) carry out a public awareness, education, and outreach campaign to inform and educate residential lenders and prospective borrowers regarding the availability, benefits, advantages, and terms of energy-efficient mortgages and location-efficient mortgages and other mortgages that have energy improvement or location efficiency features. (Sec. 8) Amends the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act of 1975 to require the collection of information on energy-efficient and location-efficient mortgages. (Sec. 9) Makes it unlawful to deny homeowner insurance for residences that are not connected to or able to receive electricity service from any wholesale or retail electric power provider. Authorizes dwellings located in Indian areas and constructed or maintained using assistance, loan guarantees, or other authority under the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 to be insured by any tribally owned self-insurance risk pool approved by the Secretary. (Sec. 10) Requires the Secretary to establish mortgage incentives for energy-efficient multifamily housing. (Sec. 11) Amends the National Housing Act to: (1) apply minimum property standards to manufactured homes; (2) require energy performance requirements for such homes to require Energy Star rating for wall fixtures, appliances, and equipment; and (3) direct the Secretary to require, with respect to manufactured housing insured under such Act, that any approval or certification of the housing for meeting any energy efficiency or conservation criteria, standards, or requirements and any approval or certification required with respect to energy-conserving improvements or any renewable energy sources to be conducted only by an individual certified by an accredited home energy rating system provider. (Sec. 12) Requires the Secretary to develop and implement a pilot program to facilitate the financing of cost-effective capital improvements for certain assisted housing projects to improve their energy efficiency and conservation. (Sec. 13) Requires the Secretary to establish and provide incentives for developers of HUD-financed housing to enter into agreements and partnerships with tree-planting organizations, nurseries, and landscapers to certify that plants are planted in the proper manner, are provided adequate maintenance, and survive for at least three years after planting or are replaced. Directs the Secretary, in the case of any new or substantially rehabilitated housing for which HUD provided financial assistance, to require the development of a plan that: (1) in the case of new construction and improvements, sites such housing and improvements in a manner that provides for energy efficiency and conservation; (2) minimizes the effects of construction, rehabilitation, or other development on the condition of existing trees; (3) selects and calls for the installation of indigenous plants; (4) provides for post-planting care and maintenance of the landscaping relating to or affected by the housing in accordance with best management practices; and (5) establishes a goal for minimum green space or tree canopy cover for the housing site. (Sec. 14) Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to direct the Secretary to make grants for energy efficiency improvements in new and existing single-family and multifamily housing. (Sec. 15) Amends the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act to include sustainable development and transportation strategies for affordable housing. (Sec. 16) Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to nonprofit organizations to increase low-income community development capacity in improving energy efficiency, resource conservation and reuse, installing or constructing renewable energy improvements, and using existing infrastructure in affordable housing and economic development activities. (Sec. 17) Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to prohibit the Secretary from making a site revitalization grant unless the applicant's proposed revitalization plan meets specified Green Developments, Green Communities, and Green Buildings certification requirements. (Sec. 18) Amends the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 to require real estate appraisals, in determining the value of a property, to consider any renewable energy sources for, or energy efficiency or energy-conserving improvements or features of, the property. (Sec. 19) Directs the Secretary to require the Housing Assistance Council to encourage each organization that receives loan assistance from the Council with any amounts made available from the Secretary to provide that any structures and buildings developed or assisted under projects, programs, and activities funded with such amounts comply with the energy efficiency standards, conservation standards, and the green building standards established by this Act. (Sec. 20) Directs the Secretary to require entities receiving assistance from the Housing Assistance Council or the HUD Office of Rural Housing and Economic Development to comply with energy efficiency standards established by this Act. (Sec. 21) Establishes in the Treasury the Alternative Energy Sources State Loan Fund to provide loans to states and Indian tribes to provide incentives to owners of housing, commercial properties, and public buildings to provide: (1) renewable energy sources or geothermal energy sources for such structures; (2) energy-efficiency and energy-conserving improvements and features for such structures; or (3) infrastructure related to the delivery of electricity and hot water for structures lacking such amenities. (Sec 22) Requires the Comptroller General to report to Congress on the effect of this Act on the availability or affordability of mortgages. (Sec. 23) Requires the Secretary to obtain from public housing agencies, and report to Congress on, information on the energy costs of their housing units. (Sec. 24) Authorizes the Secretary to insure loans to finance the acquisition of renewable energy systems for lease to home owners for use at their residences. (Sec. 25) Authorizes the Secretary to make loan guarantees for the repayment of mortgages used to finance sustainable building elements. (Sec. 26) Requires the Secretary to establish a program to provide green dividends to owners of covered federally assisted housing projects who undertake utility cost-saving measures that result in utility cost savings for such housing. (Sec. 27) Requires the Secretary to: (1) review HUD's regulations and agreements concerning residual receipts accounts in federally assisted rental housing that is subject to a limitation on distributions of project funds to the owner to clarify whether the use of such funds for other project purposes includes activities related to the energy efficiency at properties with such residual receipts accounts; and (2) revise its policies with regard to the use of reserve for replacement funds to encourage the use of such reserves for energy efficiency items. (Sec. 28) Requires the Comptroller General to study and report to the Secretary and Congress on the extent to which provisions of state and local building codes create obstacles or otherwise conflict with efforts to enable and encourage the construction and installation of distributive energy generation measures and water efficiency measures. (Sec. 29) Community Building Code Administration Grant Act of 2009 - Requires the Secretary, to the extent amounts are made available, to provide grants to local building code enforcement departments.