DOE Recognizes Foundation Communities for Energy Leadership in Multifamily Housing | Better Buildings & Better Plants Initiative

By Better Buildings & Better Plants Beat Team on Sep 16, 2024

Congressman Doggett with Austin Councilmember Ryan Alter and HUD, DOE, and Foundation Communities Leadership

Better Buildings partner Foundation Communities is a multifamily housing provider in Texas. Since 2014, the partner has more than doubled its solar capacity to 1.5 megawatts installed across 15 properties of affordable and market-rate housing. DOE visited Foundation Communities’ Homestead Oaks Apartments in Austin to see firsthand examples of the partner’s decarbonization activities.

Better Buildings Director Maria T. Vargas with the Foundation Communities solar team and HUD’s Savin Ven Johnson — *Better Buildings & Better Plants Initiative Director Maria T. Vargas with the Foundation Communities solar team and HUD’s Savin Ven Johnson*

Homestead Oaks is a 140-unit LEED Gold, Enterprise Green Communities, and ENERGY STAR certified property built in 2016 on 29 acres of land. The building features a centralized heat pump system and a 190-kilowatt rooftop solar array with individual meters to ensure residents benefit from solar credits on utility bills.

To conserve water and reduce costs, the property includes drought-tolerant landscaping and a rain catchment system that provides water for irrigation.

*Rain catchment cisterns for landscape irrigation*

Each apartment includes low-VOC paint, LED lighting, and energy- and water-efficient appliances. Residents are educated on efficient thermostat use and waste reduction.

*Informational placards in the leasing office showing Foundation Communities’ Austin properties and sustainability features of each apartment*

Visit the multifamily hub on the Better Buildings & Better Plants Solution Center to learn more about decarbonizing the multifamily housing sector.