As an affordable housing organization in the Charlottesville region that prioritizes both housing affordability and energy affordability for our residents, we strongly support Virginia staying in RGGI. 

Our residents often operate on fixed and/or very low incomes.  Controlling energy costs through investments in deep energy efficiency has direct and lasting positive impact on the financial well-being of our residents.  

Over the last two years with RGGI in place, the resulting funds have allowed us to prioritize deeply energy efficient new construction and renovations for over 230 homes in the Charlottesville region.  These investments will pay dividends over generations for extremely low income households - from families trying to make ends meet to seniors on fixed incomes.  

Given the success of the use of funds, we had already planned on similar investments in all of our future affordable housing development. The loss of these funds will result in our inability to achieve these critical, life-changing investments in the future of Virginian households.  With rising costs of construction, we will be unable to make up the difference if RGGI funds disappear. 

Having Virginia in RGGI has been a game changer for low-income families in Charlottesville and beyond.  Please, please, please continue to prioritize these families by keeping Virginia in RGGI. 

Respectfully,

Sunshine Mathon

Piedmont Housing Alliance