Learn How to Participate

The OHCS Multifamily Energy Program (OR-MEP) has two sources of funding to serve affordable multifamily projects in Oregon:

  • NEW! Federal Funds:  New construction projects located anywhere in Oregon with planned completion by March 1, 2029 are eligible for federal funding, which is available on an ongoing basis. More details on both types of funding can be found below. This funding source is new for OR-MEP, starting April 1, 2026.

  • State Funds: Existing or new construction projects in Portland General Electric or Pacific Power utility territories are eligible to apply for state funding, which is distributed through an open enrollment process twice a year. This is a continuation of the same incentives that OR-MEP has offered since 2018 and still utilizes the Open Enrollment process.

Not sure which source of funding to apply for? Our team can review your project details and make a recommendation.

Federal Funding Eligibility Requirements

Any project pursuing OR-MEP federally funded incentives must:

Man sitting inside office on computer

  • Be a new construction multifamily rental property with at least 5 residential units per building (campuses of five or more duplexes, triplexes, and quadplexes are also eligible).

  • Be heated by a hard-wired electrical heating system.

  • Meet program affordability requirements, where residents in at least 50% of units are at or below 80% area median income (AMI) and units must remain affordable for at least 10 years.

  • Must complete construction and installation of all energy upgrades and submit completion verification documents no later than March 1, 2029.

Not sure if you meet the program affordability requirement? For projects that don’t currently have an affordable regulatory agreement in place, view our Low-Cost Apartments frequently asked questions to learn how to participate in the program.

State Funding Eligibility Requirements

Any project pursuing OHCS Multifamily Energy Program (OR-MEP) incentives must:

  • Be an existing or new construction multifamily rental property with at least 5 residential units per building (campuses of five or more duplexes, triplexes, and quadplexes are also eligible)

  • Receive electricity from Pacific Power or Portland General Electric,

  • Be heated by a hard-wired electrical heating system,

  • Meet program affordability requirements, where residents in at least 50% of units are at or below 80% area median income (AMI) and units must remain affordable for at least 10 years

Not sure if you meet the program affordability requirement? For projects that don’t currently have an affordable regulatory agreement in place, view our Low-Cost Apartments frequently asked questions to learn how to participate in the program.

Incentives and Participation Pathways

This applies to both federal and state funded incentives.

Path 1: Menu

Are you looking to upgrade one or two elements of your property?

Select measures from a menu.

Incentive Range (per unit):
$100 – $3,500

Path 2: Bundled

Are you planning to improve multiple elements of your property?

Choose a bundle of measures for additional savings.

Incentive Range (per unit):
$200 – $4,500

Path 3: Whole Building

Are you looking to make property-wide upgrades and maximize your incentive?

Increase savings through a customized whole building approach.

Incentive Range (per unit):
$500 – $4,500

Incentive ranges are estimates only based on current program activity.

Our Incentives at a Glance booklet outlines the participation pathways and includes OR-MEP’s preset menu of measures for the menu and bundled pathways. View the booklet to see detailed incentive information for all three pathways.

Apply for Incentives

OR-MEP accepts applications for state funding once every six months during Open Enrollment while federal funding is available on an ongoing basis. Projects can learn how to apply to either funding source by visiting our application page.