Utilities, housing finance agencies, and lenders across the United States write certification to the Passive House Institute (PHI) standard into their programs. Eleven utility and public programs pay incentives for certified buildings, 14 state housing finance agencies recognize it in their tax-credit plans, and Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and two C-PACE programs recognize it in lending. This page sets out each one, and what has recently closed or is changing.

On this page: Building incentives · Affordable housing and tax credits · Finance · Recently closed, or changing

Building incentives

Where Program What PHI certification earns
California RISE Homes (CPUC) $20,000–$30,000 for a certified all-electric rebuild after a declared disaster.
Colorado Xcel Energy New Home Construction; Marshall Fire rebuild $15,000 per home in the top tier; $37,500 for a Passive House rebuild after the Marshall Fire.
Denver affordable housing pilot $3,600 per affordable unit: $600 at design certification, $3,000 at final.
Connecticut Energize CT Passive House and all-electric programs Multifamily: certification up to $1,500 per unit and modeling up to $500 per unit. New homes: $1,000–$1,500 per unit, the program’s largest certification rebate.
Massachusetts Mass Save Passive House Incentives Multifamily, 5+ units: $3,750 per unit ($750 at pre-certification, $3,000 at certification), a feasibility study up to $5,000, and 75% of modeling.
Minnesota Minneapolis Homes Passive House incentive Up to 20% of development cost, to $90,000 per unit.
New Jersey NJ Clean Energy New Construction Program PHI Classic, Plus, or Premium qualifies for the top tier, $2.50 per sq ft, plus bonuses.
New York NYSERDA Buildings of Excellence, Round 7 A commitment to PHI certification meets the energy threshold for awards of $24–$27 per sf, up to $1.5 million. EnerPHit qualifies for gut rehabilitation.
NYSERDA and HPD Future Housing Initiative Up to $9,000 per unit for HPD-financed affordable housing certified to PHI Classic.

Affordable housing and tax credits

State Agency and plan What PHI certification earns
California TCAC regulations Accepted as verification for sustainability basis-limit increases.
Colorado CHFA 2025–26 QAP Considered favorably in the review, which has no fixed points.
Connecticut CHFA 2026 QAP 3 points.
Delaware DSHA 2025–26 QAP 2 points; a PHI designer and the PHPP are required.
Idaho IHFA 2026 QAP Meets the green building threshold.
Indiana IHCDA 2026–27 QAP 2 points.
Massachusetts EOHLC 2025–26 QAP 10 points for pre-certification; EnerPHit earns the same for rehabilitation.
Minnesota Minnesota Housing 2026–27 QAP 8 points; names PHI Classic, Plus, Premium, and EnerPHit.
New Hampshire NH Housing 2027–28 QAP 2 points, and no penalty for high development cost.
New Jersey NJHMFA 2026 QAP 4 points, the top green tier, and up to $7,500 per unit outside the cost caps.
New York HCR 9% QAP and Sustainability Guidelines Up to 5 points as a stretch goal; PHI Low Energy Building and EnerPHit accepted for existing buildings.
Pennsylvania PHFA 2025–26 QAP 10 points, certification required.
Rhode Island RIHousing 2026 QAP Up to 3 points.
Virginia Virginia Housing QAP 10 points for a developer whose earlier project is PHI-certified, and a possible basis boost.

Funders and standards: Boston’s Office of Housing requires Passive House certification for the residential buildings it funds over 12,000 sf, and PHI certification meets it. New York City’s HPD lists PHI in its 2026 design guidelines and underwrites Passive House heating 40% lower. Maine law requires every MaineHousing-funded project to meet a standard, Passive House first among them. Enterprise Green Communities 2026 awards PHI certification 16 points and accepts it for the mandatory energy criterion; many housing finance agencies require or reward those criteria.

Finance

Lender Program What PHI certification earns
Fannie Mae Multifamily green financing PHI Passive House and EnerPHit sit in the top tier for preferential pricing; PHI Low Energy Building also qualifies.
Single-Family Green MBS Mortgages on PHI-certified homes can be pooled as green securities.
Freddie Mac Sustainability Bonds Framework PHI certification makes a loan a green asset.
PACE Equity CIRRUS Low Carbon C-PACE PHI Passive House, Low Energy Building, or EnerPHit qualifies automatically for the lower rate.
Massachusetts PACE Massachusetts All-electric Passive House financed up to 35% of construction cost.
New York City HPD and HDC operating cost standards Passive House heating underwritten at $124 per room a year, against $206.
Philadelphia Philadelphia Green Capital Corp. Preference for predevelopment loans.

Appraisals: an appraisal can count certification too. The Appraisal Institute’s Residential Green and Energy Efficient Addendum has check boxes for PHI Passive House, EnerPHit, and Low Energy Building; its Commercial Green and Energy Efficient Addendum records any certification, with the certifier’s rating worksheet. More in the Institute’s green resources.

Recently closed, or changing

HUD’s Green and Resilient Retrofit Program accepted EnerPHit for its Leading Edge awards, up to $60,000 per unit; applications closed in 2024. NYSERDA’s Building Better Homes paid up to $15,000 per home and accepted PHI certification; it closed in 2025. California Energy-Smart Homes’ Passive House bonus was fully subscribed for 2026. Xcel’s Marshall Fire rebate ends December 31, 2026. Pennsylvania’s July 2026 draft plan for 2027–28 drops its Passive House points, and Virginia’s 2027 draft phases them out.

Incentives for Passive House training are on Training Financial Incentives. Know of a program that recognizes PHI certification and isn’t listed here? Tell us at info@passivehousenetwork.org.

Checked October 2026. Terms change yearly; check the linked source before relying on a figure.