A city committee Tuesday night reviewed plans to set up an advisory group to monitor a $1 million pilot program to do energy efficiency upgrades to 50 affordable housing units in Evanston.
The Housing and Community Development Committee agreed that the dozen members of the advisory panel should not be eligible to receive grants under the program but would be eligible for stipends for their committee participation.
Bob Dean, chief executive officer of the Center for Neighborhood Technology, one of three organizations involved in the “One Stop Shop” pilot project, said the advisory committee would meet monthly from November through next February to advise on program design questions.
Then it would meet quarterly or less frequently once the implementation of the program begins next March and once more after the pilot program ends to evaluate the project.
The pilot program, funded with money from the federal American Rescue Plan Act, is designed to improve energy efficiency, water efficiency, climate resilience and resident health while maintaining the affordability of existing properties.
Another goal is to build contractor capacity to undertake such projects.
Dean says the program is designed to focus on Evanston neighborhoods with a high concentration of social and climate vulnerability — including portions of the 2nd, 5th and 8th wards.
CNT is collaborating with Elevate and the Evanston Development Cooperative on the program.
The groups hope the pilot will demonstrate the feasibility of scaling up the program to provide continuing assistance in upgrading the quality of existing affordable housing units.