Non-Profit Housing Provider Brightside Community Homes Foundation Kicks Off Portfolio-wide Net Zero Retrofit Initiative

VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 28, 2025 /CNW/ - Non-Profit Housing Provider Brightside Community Homes Foundation Kicks Off Portfolio-wide Net Zero Retrofit Program.

Brightside Community Homes Foundation is kicking off its ambitious net zero retrofit initiative that will significantly improve energy efficiency and aims to achieve net zero carbon emissions across its entire portfolio by 2035. The first retrofit is taking place at Moreland Kennedy House in the Kitsilano neighbourhood of Vancouver.

The majority funding partner for the net zero retrofit of Moreland Kennedy House is Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and the Canada Greener Affordable Housing (CGAH). The CGAH program helps affordable housing providers complete deep energy retrofits on existing multi-unit residential buildings. Brightside's Moreland Kennedy House is among 12 other projects in the Lower Mainland to receive first tranche CGAH funding. Additional pre-retrofit funding was provided by CleanBC, the City of Vancouver, Vancity, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), and BC Hydro.

The retrofit of Moreland Kennedy House includes the full replacement of all windows and patio doors, the installation of a new, more energy efficient roofing system, and the transition from gas heating to a highly efficient, electric centralized heat pump system for both heating and cooling. Additionally, a new electric domestic hot water system will be installed in the parking garage, utilizing heat pump technology. The first of nine retrofits planned over the next five years, this project serves as a demonstration of what is possible for sustaining affordable rental housing.

Brightside collaborated with Affine Climate Solutions to produce its portfolio-based Net Zero Strategy, which is publicly available on Brightside's website and invites other non-profit housing providers seeking to reduce carbon emissions to undertake their own net zero initiatives.

The Moreland Kennedy House net zero retrofit is expected to be complete in December 2025; a second retrofit is slated to begin in Vancouver's West End in Spring 2025. Brightside's net zero retrofit initiative is a cornerstone of the organization's commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability.

Quotes:

"Through the Canada Greener Affordable Housing program, the federal government is working with housing partners here in Vancouver and across Canada to transform housing. Investments like these will continue to enhance the quality of life for residents and provide a greener future for generations to come." – Joyce Murray, Member of Parliament for Vancouver Quadra

"Meeting Canada's net-zero emissions goal by 2050 just got one step closer with the Canada Greener Affordable Housing program. The Brightside Project in the heart of Kits is improving Vancouver's existing housing supply by making homes more energy-efficient, lowering costs for residents, and reducing emissions. This means a higher quality of life for residents as we work towards a more sustainable future." – Taleeb Noormohamed, Member of Parliament for Vancouver Granville

"We recognize that multi-unit residential housing is a major contributor of carbon emissions in Metro Vancouver, and we are taking ambitious steps as an affordable housing provider to reduce our carbon footprint. Funding sources such as the Canada Green Affordable Housing program mean non-profits like Brightside can make meaningful strides in eliminating carbon emissions and mitigating climate change. Our goal is to become a zero-carbon housing provider while ensuring our experience and climate strategies are accessible to others in the community housing space."  – William Azaroff, Chief Executive Officer, Brightside Community Homes Foundation

"Brightside's commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2035 sets a powerful precedent for the non-profit housing sector. At Affine Climate Solutions, we are proud to have supported Brightside in developing a bold yet practical Net Zero Strategy and to be their trusted implementation partner. Their commitment to scaling climate-aligned retrofits demonstrates the Board's and Executive's leadership, as well as the expertise and commitment of their team. This initiative would not be possible without the support of funders like CMHC and Vancity, whose commitment to climate-aligned housing is driving real change in the sector"  – Michaela Neuberger, Executive Director, Affine Climate Solutions

"All of us at Vancity congratulate Brightside Community Homes and celebrate with them as they launch the Net-Zero Retrofit Program. Brightside has been an invaluable partner as we developed the Vancity Non-Profit Housing Retrofit Program, which is designed to provide housing providers with critical funding for deep retrofits and to support climate-ready, affordable housing. We look forward to seeing Brightside continue to inspire other organizations across the sector with their unwavering commitment to advancing our low-carbon future." – Andrea Harris, VP Impact Strategy at Vancity

SOURCE Brightside Community Homes Foundation