Posted on February 29, 2024
BOSTON --- In support of its mission to increase production of equitable and sustainable affordable housing across Massachusetts, MHP has hired a director of sustainability and climate initiatives. Lauren Baumann comes to MHP as a leader in sustainable, affordable housing. Until 2022, she was the Vice President at New Ecology, a Boston-based, nonprofit building science firm focused on sustainable community development and affordable housing. In her 17 years there, she led teams providing consulting services to affordable housing owners and developers—including many MHP borrowers— innovated new services and acted as a technical advisor for local municipalities, the state of Massachusetts and national organizations.
For the past several years, Lauren has worked as a consultant, focused primarily on planning and opportunities related to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022, a landmark federal law which directs substantial funding to make affordable housing more sustainable and climate resilient.
Baumann has been a trusted advisor to MHP over the years as it developed its Green and Healthy Housing Programs and addressed the challenges of integrating climate-related efforts into its housing finance work.
“We are thrilled to have Lauren’s experience and expertise here at MHP - given the pressing need to address housing’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, the Commonwealth’s goal to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, and the opportunities to develop new programs to leverage IRA funding for MHP’s multifamily portfolio and statewide,” said MHP’s Director of Capital and Program Development Anne Lewis.
In this role at MHP, Baumann will provide leadership and oversight of climate-related housing initiatives for MHP’s multifamily lending, positioning MHP to best serve its borrowers with technical and financial resources for increasing energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions in their properties. Baumann will also represent MHP’s climate vision at the state level, including in the development of the state’s decarbonization plan for the affordable housing sector.
For more information contact MHP Communication Manager Lisa Braxton at Lbraxton@mhp.net or at (857) 301-1526.