Fort Collins wins $1 million home energy efficiency grant. Here’s what it could mean for you

In a tight housing market like Fort Collins, why would landlords upgrade their property when there are already potential tenants banging down the door to move in?

And why would tenants invest in property they don’t ultimately own?

The city of Fort Collins thinks it may have bridged that gap — with the help of a $1 million award from Bloomberg Philanthropies U.S. Mayors Challenge. It was one of nine cities, one of which is Denver, to win the grant.

In short, the city is creating a one-stop shop for landlords to pick a contractor to make energy-efficiency improvements and receive a standardized loan that is repaid via the property owner’s utility bill.

Part of the metrics of success for the program, in addition to number of people who sign up, is its effect on indoor air quality. The city has teamed up with Colorado State University civil and environmental engineering professor Ellison Carter to measure those effects. Read more.