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To commit to working with the City's Administration to development and implement a comprehensive energy efficiency program that reduces the energy burden and cost of living for vulnerable households, supports small businesses, assists in the preservation of housing and the stabilization of neighborhoods, and makes meaningful progress towards the City's climate goals.
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WHEREAS, the Council recognizes the ongoing housing affordability crisis facing residents, in part due to rising home prices and a lack of affordable units available to rent or own, especially for low-income residents; and
WHEREAS, the Council understands that Virginia residents are at the forefront of increasing energy demands and rising energy costs, driven by the rapid growth of data centers, population growth, economic development, and increased reliance on natural gas, among other things; and
WHEREAS, upon information and belief of the Council, approximately 28,000 households in Richmond, or nearly one-third of all households, are energy-burdened, defined by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy as spending over 6% of their income on energy costs, compared to an average household spending of 3.1 percent; and
WHEREAS, by Resolution No. 2020-R024, adopted June 8, 2020, the Council recognized the effects of global warming caused by human activity and established a climate action goal to achieve a 45 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 from the 2008 baseline; and
WHEREAS, by Ordinance No. 2020-236, adopted December 14, 2020, Council adopted "Richmond 300: A Guide for Growth" as the Master Plan of the City including Goal 14 that outlines a vision for Inclusive Housing that protects mixed-income communities from displacement by preserving existing housing units - both renter- and owner-occupied - throughout the city; and
WHEREAS, by Resolution No. 2021-R049, adopted S...
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