River City Housing
River City Housing Uses Solar to Help Close the Gap in Housing Inequities
While Louisville recently set a record for homeownership, the story remains starkly different for Black or African American households, where racial disparities persist, and housing insecurity remains real. Homeownership for this minority community is stagnant at 37.2 percent, trailing by almost half their White counterparts and by five percent below the national rate.
A grant from All Points North Foundation to nonprofit home developer River City Housing, Inc. (RCH) will help address these housing inequities in Kentucky’s largest city. RCH will install solar panels on six houses, teaming with the Solar Over Louisville (SOL) project, an initiative of the Louisville Metro Government to help the city meet its goal of 100% clean energy community-wide by 2040. The RCH houses will be sold to first-time, low- and moderate-income homebuyers. Over a 25-year warranty, the solar installations are anticipated to generate 1,575,000 kWh savings, equivalent to an estimated $157,500.
These cost savings will help alleviate energy poverty among homes that struggle to meet basic monthly energy expenses. One-third of households in the U.S. experience energy poverty with Black households making up nearly half of energy poor residences. Systemic racism embedded in historic policies and practice, and short-sighted solutions like subsidizing utility costs have contributed to today’s housing challenges.
In its 30-year history, RCH has developed and sold over 200 single family homes, largely in the historically Black neighborhoods of Smoketown/Shelby Park and the West End of Louisville which have some of the highest poverty rates in Kentucky. Half of the homes are new construction and half are acquisitions of vacant properties that are extensively renovated, emphasizing long-term affordability through energy efficiency and low maintenance costs. The SOL program provides bulk-purchasing power to obtain discounted wholesale rates for solar installation.
A leader in bringing green building techniques to the affordable housing industry, RCH hopes its new builds and renovations in Louisville’s beleaguered communities not only help to improve the quality of life for some of the most vulnerable but strengthen its neighborhoods with high quality, affordable, safe, and energy efficient homes.
For more information: www.rivercityhousing.org
