New Mexico’s Tierra Del Sol Housing Corporation Wins Energy Efficiency Grant

Selection will boost housing affordability in New Mexico with high-impact energy efficiency improvements and lower utility costs.

In a win for New Mexico, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has selected Tierra del Sol Housing Corporation of Las Cruces as one of nine nonprofits nationwide to receive the Renew America’s Nonprofits grant.

The announcement was made October 31 by U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.).

Tierra del Sol (TdS) is a longtime collaborator with USBC on housing and homeownership issues for low-income communities in New Mexico.

The competitive award will help TdS make energy efficiency upgrades to apartment complexes in its service area. It will also help TdS with an innovative plan to reduce energy costs in its own offices, freeing funds for mission-critical services.

This announcement is the latest federal investment in Tierra Del Sol’s work to provide quality, affordable housing to low-income communities in New Mexico. Last year, Heinrich secured $1.6 million for Tierra Del Sol to plan, engineer, and construct 14 new electric homes in Columbus, New Mexico.

Rose Garcia, Executive Director of TdS, says of the Columbus project, “These homes will be a demonstration adapting the cutting edge Inflation Reduction Act opportunities for New Mexico residents to access a totally energy- efficient home.

“Columbus is a historic village that will benefit from this opportunity to stimulate new homeownership development that has been lacking.”