Frequently Asked Questions
View our frequently asked questions below for answers to common program inquiries. Please contact the OR-MEP team with any additional questions at (503) 505-6787 or OHCSMultifamilyEnergy@trccompanies.com.
Open Enrollment
An “INVALID ADDRESS” error may be due to several factors. The Open Enrollment application relies on a lookup function that connects to the US Census Bureau site, and it is not perfect. Please review these possible scenarios to troubleshoot the issue.
If you are still having issues, contact us at OHCSMultifamilyEnergy@trccompanies.com with the project address along with nearby landmarks or cross streets. Program staff will be in touch shortly with a solution.
Scenario 1: Are you using a Mac computer with Excel for Mac?
The Open Enrollment application uses a lookup function that connects to the US Census Bureau site to find the specific Census Tract for the entered address. Unfortunately, this lookup function relies on Windows operating system features, and is not supported on Mac computers running Excel for Mac.
If you are a Mac user, please email the Open Enrollment application to Program Staff (OHCSMultifamilyEnergy@trccompanies.com). Program Staff can run the lookup function on our end and return the file back to you with the “INVALID ADDRESS” error resolved. We apologize for this inconvenience and plan to address this in future enrollment rounds.
Scenario 2: Did you click “Enable Editing” and “Enable Content” after opening the workbook?
Make sure you have clicked “Enable Editing” and “Enable Content“ as displayed below. This is required for the address lookup function to work in Excel and to connect to the US Census Bureau site.
Scenario 3: Is this a new construction project with an official address not yet established or registered?
If this is a new construction project with a new address or one that is not yet registered, find the nearest valid address to the intended site. When submitting the application form, please include the actual project address or cross street in the body of the email.
Scenario 4: How have you entered the street suffix (e.g. Street, Road, Avenue, etc.)?
Try entering variations of the address. If the address has abbreviations (i.e., St, Ave, Rd), try spelling them out. Also make sure any directionals (SE, NW etc.) in the address comes before the street number or name. (Example: 500 SE 20th Ave or 500 SE 20th Avenue; 10 SE Main St or 10 SE Main Street)
Scenario 5: Your project address may be recognized by the US Census Bureau differently compared to project documents as determined by local agencies or for permitting. How can you confirm?
To double check your address is entered in a format recognized by the US Census Bureau, enter the address into the Affordable Housing Assessment Map via the search bar on the top right. Enter the address one character at a time and select the correct address format from the suggestion. Use this suggested address format in the Open Enrollment application.
For example, an address in Milwaukie, Oregon may be recognized to be in Portland, Oregon by the US Census Bureau.
Projects with existing reservations are not impacted by the new Open Enrollment process and do not need to reapply for funding. All previously enrolled projects are considered to have active incentive reservations. Funding has been allocated for these projects with reserved incentives and those reservation amounts will be honored by OHCS.
Yes, all projects will need to submit a new application for each Open Enrollment round to be considered. The criteria that will be scored in Open Enrollment may be adjusted and include new information not previously collected when projects applied the previous round. Projects should also consider if they meet the prerequisite timeline requirements for Open Enrollment to decide which Open Enrollment round to apply for.
Open Enrollment rounds are scheduled to be open for 45 days. Once Open Enrollment is closed the Program Team will review the applications, and then submit recommendations for projects to be funded to both OHCS and the OR-MEP DEI Coalition. We anticipate announcing selected projects within 30 days of the close of Open Enrollment.
For complete details on timelines, please visit https://oregonmultifamilyenergy.com/apply/
With the removal of the requirement that enrollment approval must take place prior to any measure installation, projects in construction can apply for Open Enrollment. We understand many projects on the waitlist may have started construction already and want to be able to serve these projects, especially if there are still opportunity to expand the energy efficiency scope of work. Please note, however, if construction is complete the project is not eligible.
A naturally occurring affordable housing (NOAH) project is a property that is not currently bound by an affordability agreement with OHCS or another governing body, but are affordable to residents with incomes between 60-120% of the area median income. NOAH property owners have typically never participated in affordable housing programs (e.g., OHCS NOFAs, Housing Bureau NOFAs, LIHTC, HUD or USDA).
NOAH properties are eligible for OR-MEP if they agree to meet OR-MEP affordability requirements and enter into a 10-year affordability agreement with OHCS, which will help preserve affordable housing in Oregon. NOAH properties are eligible for additional services and support while participating in OR-MEP. Please contact program staff to learn more.
To apply for an Open Enrollment round, projects must meet the following timeline prerequisites if selected for Open Enrollment:
- Project will finalize development of energy efficiency scope to reserve incentives within 6 months of Open Enrollment selection.
- Project will start installing energy upgrades within 18 months of Open Enrollment selection.
- Note: If a project has started installing energy upgrades within 18 months and it is not complete within those 18 months that is acceptable. The key timeline is that installation of energy upgrades should start within 18 months of Open Enrollment.
Step 1: When you open the map, on the top right corner of the map, click the Layers icon.
Step 2: From the Layer List, select, “High Priority Area Index – Census Tract,” and/or “Ethnicity and Race – Census Tract.”
- “Ethnicity and Race – Census Tract, Percent BIPOC metric” map layer is the data source for Open Enrollment Criteria #1 – Project is in a BIPOC community.
- “High Priority Area Index – Census Tract, Index metric” map layer is the data source for Open Enrollment Criteria #3 – Project High Priority Area Index Score (Energy Burden)
Step 3: Then search the property address in the search bar on the top right.
Incentives
