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Boston officials are offering energy assessments, construction management, and forgivable loan financing to the owners of two-, three- and four-family rental properties to help accelerate the region’s transition away from oil- and natural gas-powered heating and air conditioning.

The city announced what it’s calling the Healthy & Green Retrofit Pilot Program Thursday morning.

“With almost 80 percent of Boston’s buildings requiring deep energy retrofits and decarbonization, our new Healthy & Green Retrofit Pilot Program signifies a pivotal movement toward achieving our city’s carbon neutrality aspirations,” Mayor Michelle Wu said in a statement. “By targeting the most common building type and preserving affordability, we are paving the way for a greener, healthier future for all Bostonians.”

The new pilot program will offer forgivable loans of up to $50,000 per unit and will provide a “comprehensive” energy assessment along with construction management services provided by the Mayor’s Office of Housing’s Boston Home Center, the city said. The retrofit work will be performed by pre-qualified private general contractors, the ranks of which the city said it’s trying to bulk up. The program is funded via $5 million in federal COVID relief money.

Only owner-occupied buildings are eligible, the city said.

By encouraging the replacement of fossil fuel-powered heating and cooling systems with heat pumps, the city hopes to make its smallest rental properties both more climate-friendly and more healthy for tenants by removing the soot and other airborne pollutants released when natural gas and heating oil are burned. A secondary aim, Wu’s office said, is to “serve as a model for other communities” and build knowledge that can be applied to other building types.

“With this launch, Boston is taking a groundbreaking step towards a healthier and greener future for our communities,” Wu’s Chief of Housing Sheila Dillon said in a statement. “The Healthy & Green Retrofit Pilot Program underscores our dedication to sustainable building practices and decarbonization. By focusing on two to four-unit owner-occupied buildings, we are making strides towards reducing the carbon footprint of the City. Together, we are building a more sustainable and equitable city for generations to come.”