CALVAY Housing Association is poised to help lower the energy bills of its residents, thanks to support from CAF Bank and Scottish Government funding.
The Glasgow-based housing charity secured a £2.77 million Green Loan facility to undertake an upgrade to 267 residential units.
Supported by additional funding from the Scottish Government’s Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund, the £4.8 million in upgrades to the units’ environmental efficiency will help reduce energy bills and usage, thanks to the installation of new temperature and humidity sensors, wall insulations, and net zero heat pumps.
Calvay manages over 860 units in Glasgow’s east end and the Calvay Centre, a community hub in the heart of Barlanark providing services and activities to help people gain employment, learn new skills, and socialise.
CAF Bank Green Loans support charities and social purpose organisations through enhanced terms on funding for environmentally beneficial projects.
Steven Blomer, Calvay Housing Association’s chair, said, “This is a major project which will benefit Calvay’s tenants for years to come. We know fuel poverty is a major issue for many of our tenants and the external wall insulation will make our homes both easier and cheaper to heat.”
Fraser McKay, CAF Bank’s relationship director for the region, added, “For 40 years Calvay Housing Association improved the lives of countless Glaswegians and I am delighted that CAF Bank has helped them to further this work. Providing residents with high-quality, energy efficient homes is just the kind of project CAF Bank Green Loans were created to support.”
Acting minister for climate action Alasdair Allan MSP commented, “With approximately 600,000 homes for social rent in Scotland, the social housing sector is a key partner in decarbonising our buildings and helping us to meet carbon emission reduction targets. Helping residents to lower their energy bills through energy efficiency improvements is a key objective of the Scottish Government’s Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund, so I’m very pleased that we have been able to support Calvay Housing Association with this project and I look forward to these improvements being completed shortly.”
