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more energy efficient rental. Habitat’s vision for solar-powered <br />homes with affordable mortgages seeks to address inequitable <br />access to the benefits of solar, in tandem with the myriad <br />financial and social benefits of homeownership. <br />15. Please describe any ways in <br />which low‐income or Marginalized <br />communities/households were <br />engaged in the creation of this <br />project proposal: <br />While the specific homebuyers for this project have not yet been <br />selected, more than 300 local Habitat homeowners represent a <br />valuable resource for ideas and insights. Habitat regularly solicits <br />this group for feedback on our work and programs. Current and <br />potential homebuyers have communicated enthusiasm about the <br />financial and environmental benefits of owning a green-certified <br />Habitat home with renewable energy. <br />16. Please describe any potential <br />negative side effects of the project <br />and describe the steps you are <br />taking/will take to eliminate or <br />minimize these impacts to any low‐ <br />income or marginalized <br />communities/households: <br />The homeowners will gain approximately $65 in solar-generated <br />free electricity per month, and the equipment is warrantied for <br />12-25 years. However, the labor is only guaranteed for five years, <br />after which time maintenance will be the homeowner’s <br />responsibility. However, solar installations have a low repair rate. <br />In addition, Habitat has programs to help homeowners save for <br />repairs and can also offer referrals for reputable vendors and in <br />some case no-interest loans for repairs. <br /> <br />Another potential impact is that the inclusion of solar panels <br />requires that surrounding landscaping should include trees and <br />bushes that do not grow more than 25 feet, to avoid shading the <br />panels. To proactively address any landscaping limitations while <br />ensuring beauty in the surrounding greenery, ECH Rotary has <br />donated $3,600 to-date to purchase low growing trees and <br />shrubs. The club will partner with Habitat and Habitat <br />homeowners to landscape Habitat homes in the neighborhood, <br />regardless of whether families opt for solar panel installation. <br />17. Are the impacted residents <br />already aware of the potential <br />positive and negative impacts of <br />your project and the steps you are <br />taking? If not, please describe your <br />plan to engage with them and how <br />you will act based on their input: <br />Once selected, homebuyers for houses with solar potential are <br />offered education and information about solar and the choice to <br />participate in the program or not. Communication with <br />homebuyers is fully open and transparent regarding the potential <br />costs, positives, and negatives of the program. Homebuyers who <br />are not fully willing to participate in the program will not be <br />required to do so. <br />18. During and after the project, <br />what will your continued <br />Habitat maintains communication with homeowners and <br />conducts regular post-closing surveys to gather feedback and <br />improve our programs and services. Habitat also strives to <br />DocuSign Envelope ID: 9E4C108B-9C5C-4E75-9AF1-C4CA2E16CEC5