Massachusetts Solar for All Eligibility Criteria
Solar for All will serve Low-Income and Disadvantaged Communities (LIDAC) across Massachusetts. Eligible households are defined by the EPA and the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF), the funding source for Solar For All. GGRF defines LIDAC as communities or households that fall into one or more of the following categories:
- Communities identified as disadvantaged by the White House’s Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) mapping tool;
- A limited number of additional communities identified as disadvantaged by EPAs’ EJScreen mapping tool;
- Geographically dispersed low-income households; and
- Properties providing affordable housing.
More information on each eligibility category is provided in the following sections. The details on this page are for informational purposes only and should not be understood to guarantee eligibility for any of Massachusetts’ Solar for All offerings. Please note that Solar for All includes multiple program offerings, including solutions for single-family homes, multi-family properties, and community shared solar, and the Solar for All Coalition reserves the right to establish specific eligibility criteria for individual program offerings, including requiring income verification for certain offerings. The graphic below includes a summary of the different Solar for All offerings and likely eligibility criteria.
Infographic describing eligibility criteria for Solar for All programs, including single-family programs, community shared solar, and multifamily programs. More detail on program eligibility is provided below.
Household Income-Based Eligibility
GGRF’s definition of “geographically dispersed low-income households” includes low-income individuals and households that fall within either of the two categories listed below. Income-based eligibility may be used to determine eligibility for the Single-Family Loan or Lease OR the Community Shared Solar program.
Income-Based Eligibility
Individuals and households with incomes at or below 80% of Area Median Income (AMI) are considered eligible for Solar for All funding. This document has more detail on income thresholds by municipality. Please note that this document is not a final determination of income-based eligibility; MASFA will provide assistance to interested residents to confirm and verify income eligibility as part of the application process. Income thresholds will be updated each year to determine income-based eligibility.
Categorical Eligibility
Individuals and households currently approved for assistance from or participation in at least one of the following federal assistance programs, with an award letter within the last 12 months, may be eligible for Solar for All funding:
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program;
- U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program;
- U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program;
- Federal Communications Commission’s Lifeline Support for Affordable Communications;
- USDA’s National School Lunch Program;
- U.S. Social Security Administration’s Supplemental Security Income; or
- any other verified government or non-profit program serving Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) individuals or households designated by the EPA Administrator.
Please note the above categorical eligibility pathways are intended to qualify households with incomes at or below 80% of Area Median Income, based on these programs' income-based eligibility criteria. If one or more of the above programs' eligibility criteria change and are no longer aligned with Solar for All eligibility criteria, MASFA reserves the right to no longer accept participation in the programs as evidence of eligibility for Solar for All.
Affordable Housing Eligibility
Restricted affordable multifamily housing with rents not exceeding 30% of 80% Area Median Income (AMI) for at least half of residential units and with an active affordability covenant from one of the following federal or state housing assistance programs are eligible to participate in the Public or Private Multifamily Housing Initiative:
- Low-Income Housing Tax Credit;
- a housing assistance program administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), including Public Housing, Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance, Section 202 Housing for the Elderly, Section 811 Housing for Disabled, Housing Trust Fund, Home Investment Partnership Program Affordable Rental and Homeowner Units, Permanent Supportive Housing, and other programs focused on the goal of ending homelessness funded under HUD’s Continuum of Care Program;
- a housing assistance program administered by USDA under Title V of the Housing Act of 1949, including under Sections 514 and 515;
- a housing assistance program administered by a tribally-designated housing entity, as defined in Section 4(21) of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. § 4103(22); or
- any other housing assistance program designated by the EPA Administrator.
Geographically-Based Eligibility
MASFA is evaluating how geographic criteria may be used to determine eligibility for Solar for All programs. This section will be updated as more information becomes available.