Fort Pierce - Tuesday June 27, 2023: The Fort Pierce based Solar and Energy Loan Fund known as SELF, has received a second grant from the Opportunity Finance Network’s (OFN) Finance Justice Fund.
SELF is a non-profit, certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), also known as Florida’s Green Bank, America’s first.
“SELF is at a critical moment of growth," said Duanne Andrade, SELF’s Executive Director. "We’re scaling our climate solutions for low- and moderate-income homeowners, landlords, and developers, while also growing geographically. OFN’s grant directly supports our capacity while also validating all of the work we’ve done so far. We’re thankful for OFN’s continued support and trust.”
The Opportunity Finance Network’s first awarded SELF an energy efficiency grant in 2018. In 2021, OFN’s inaugural investment in SELF from its Finance Justice Fund supported SELF’s SEER Loans for Landlords to improve the affordable housing stock and address energy burdens affecting low-income renters.
“Community Development Financial Institutions like SELF demonstrate a commitment to addressing problems resulting from persistent poverty, lack of investment, and systemic racism,” said OFN President and CEO Harold Pettigrew. “Through this essential funding, our Finance Justice Fund partners advance the causes of social, economic, and racial justice, one loan at a time.”
Since 2010, SELF has financed over 3,000 sustainable and climate-resilient property improvements, created over $40 million of green economic development activity, and leveraged over $100 million in project costs for affordable housing construction.
Visit https://solarenergyloanfund.org/ to learn more.