Empower your community with clean solar energy through the SOMAH Program
The Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) Program offers California tribes financial incentives covering up to 100% of the cost for installing solar energy panels on qualified multifamily affordable housing. Solar through SOMAH will reduce utility bills paid by the property and its residents through monthly credits on their energy bills.
Navigating the solar installation process is made easy by SOMAH's technical assistance and support staff dedicated to tribal projects, at no cost. Our team guides tribes through the process, from establishing eligibility and filing an application to project completion, ensuring your tribe maximizes the benefits of solar energy and other energy-saving measures.
Discover how SOMAH can help transition your tribal housing to clean energy, foster economic growth and create on-the-job training opportunities for your community members.
Bishop Paiute Tribe Celebrates SOMAH Tribal Installation
Tribal Property Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for SOMAH, a tribal property must:
- Have at least five units
- Be deed-restricted low-income residential rental housing, including manufactured and mobile homes, with at least 10 years remaining on the term of the property's affordability restrictions.
- Satisfy one of the following:
- 66% of property residents have incomes at or below 80% of the area median income.
- In a defined disadvantaged community that scores in the top 25% of census tracts statewide in the CalEnviroScreen including property located on tribal land and is federally recognized.
- Owned by a California Native American tribe.
- Rental housing property owned by a public housing authority or public housing agency
- Be an existing housing property or retrofit (with Certificate of Occupancy)
- Have separate electric meters for each unit.
- Be a utility or community choice aggregator customer (with virtual net energy metering) of one of the following: Pacific Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison, San Diego Gas & Electric, PacifiCorp or Liberty Utilities.
Tribal Leaders: Take advantage of inclusive state-funded incentives that provide solar energy for your multi-unit housing. Learn more today!
The benefit to our tribe is the opportunity for our tribal members to have savings on their electricity bill, and I encourage any tribes who may be interested in going after the same type of funding and opportunity to bring it to their community and their tribal members.
Meryl Picard
CHAIRWOMAN, BISHOP PAIUTE TRIBAL COUNCIL
I trained at Owens Valley Career Development Center (a local job training organization). It was a great program. Then I got the call from Highpoint Solar and received hands-on training, which helped me feel very comfortable and prepared during the installation.
Marika Spratt
Job Trainee
Benefits of SOMAH
Find out how the SOMAH Program offers California tribes a unique opportunity to access affordable solar energy, reduce electricity costs, create jobs and build sustainable tribal communities.
Application Resources for Tribal Groups
Learn how to successfully obtain an incentive for your community by exploring SOMAH’s comprehensive guide on eligibility criteria for Native American housing.
Bishop Paiute Success Story
Discover how the Bishop Paiute Tribe is harnessing solar power to benefit their community and embracing a sustainable future.
Get Paid On-the-Job Training Experience
The SOMAH Program opens doors to new careers in the solar industry. Explore the opportunities by checking our Job Training Eligibility webpage.
Tribal Participation Barriers Memo
Read this memo to learn about specific challenges tribal entities face in participating in SOMAH, as well as potential solutions and resources to enhance tribal access to solar energy benefits.
Resource Library
Dive into a wealth of SOMAH Program materials tailored for tribal members in our growing Resource Library.