Equity in Electrification: Electrification of Affordable Housing

The passage of Local Law 154 means that design professionals in New York City will be tasked with providing effective solutions for electrifying buildings. With this push towards a more sustainable energy grid comes questions of equity: Who benefits from electrification? Who pays for it? If electrification creates a demand for new green jobs, who will get those jobs and why? How do the technical decisions we make at the building scale affect the health, wellness, and economic welfare of building occupants and the broader community?

The AIANY Committee on the Environment’s Equity and Electrification series explores issues of equity in the push to fully electrify New York City’s building stock. This panel will provide a broad overview of policy and equity issues surrounding building electrification in New York City, along with a case study that tackles the technical opportunities and challenges of electrifying affordable housing. Topics will range from the health and economic impacts of electrification on vulnerable communities to the cost implications of system selections in affordable housing. Join our panelists from WE ACT, Dattner Architects, Bright Power, and Phipps Houses for this conversation.

Speakers:
Rachel Ehrlich, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Associate Principal, Studio Director, Dattner Achitects
Zoe Grossman, Manager of New Construction, Bright Power
Michael Wadman, Vice President, Phipps Houses

Moderator:
Annie Carforo, Climate Justice Organizer, WE ACT for Environmental Justice

About the Speakers:
Annie Carforo is the Climate Justice Campaign Coordinator at WE ACT for Environmental Justice. She is responsible for engaging WE ACT members and residents of Northern Manhattan in the organization’s climate policy initiatives. Prior to joining WE ACT, Carforo organized alongside New Yorkers experiencing homelessness on City and State legislation designed to improve access to high-quality affordable housing. All of Carforo’s organizing and policy experience is grounded in community-led activism. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Human and Organizational Development with a focus on Community Development from Vanderbilt University and is currently pursuing a Master of Urban Planning degree at Hunter College, with a focus on equity and sustainability in city planning.

Rachel Ehrlich‘s focus is the architecture of affordable housing, with a specialty in the design of supportive and senior housing. Her passion lies in contributing to vibrant, livable neighborhoods that form the cornerstone of social equity by offering well-designed, sustainable homes for people of all income levels. A climate activist, Ehrlich believes that good design is socially and environmentally just, and makes a lasting contribution to the built realm and the social fabric of cities. In 2019, Ehrlich was elected to the Borough Council of Madison, NJ. Prior to running for office, she served on the Madison planning board. She holds a Master of Architecture from New Jersey Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Arts from Skidmore College. Ehlrich is the recipient of the AIA Henry Adams Medal.

Zoe Grossman is a building science professional with a passion for sustainability in the built environment in a way that positively impacts the residents of the community as well as the natural environment. As Manager of New Construction at Bright Power, she oversees a team that delivers sustainability and energy efficiency improvements for ground-up new construction projects in the multifamily building market. She is an environmental engineer, BPI Multifamily Building Analyst (MFBA), and Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP) with project management and engineering experience in large-scale projects throughout New York City.

Michael Wadman is Vice President of the non-profit group Phipps Houses. Phipps Houses is a leading developer and manager of low-income and affordable housing in New York City. Prior to joining Phipps Houses, Wadman worked with the Hudson Companies, Bell House/ Union Hall, and the New York State Housing Finance Agency.

This event is offered in person and virtually; proof of complete COVID-19 vaccination (for attendees ages 5 and up) with photo ID for adults is required to attend in person. Food and beverages will be served. Face masks are required for visitors ages 2-5, and optional for those vaccinated. Read our full Health and Safety Protocol here.

If you register for an online ticket, you will receive an email with a Zoom link to access the program.