Northwest Energy Efficiency Council

Nonprofit trade association of the energy efficiency industry

  • News
    • Job Postings
    • Member Press Releases
  • Events
  • NEEC Programs
    • Smart Buildings Center
    • Tool Lending Library
    • Building Operator Certification (BOC)
  • Members
  • Resources
    • Building Tune-Ups Service Providers
    • Portland Benchmarking Providers
    • Seattle Benchmarking Providers
  • About
    • Staff
    • Contact
  • Membership
You are here: Home / Industry / Addressing the Housing & Climate Crises — Together

Addressing the Housing & Climate Crises — Together

January 4, 2022 By Britton Rife

The following piece by Sharon Lee appeared in the Seattle Times on December 23, 2021.

My No. 1 job as executive director of the Low Income Housing Institute is to provide affordable housing for workers in low-wage jobs and shelter for people experiencing homelessness. I firmly believe that housing is a human right and that it is a transformative vehicle to advance social justice. During the past few years in the Pacific Northwest, we have seen once-in-a-generation wildfires fill our sky with smoke become once-every-summer wildfires, and I believe now more so than ever that we must look at affordable housing as a climate-justice issue — and a climate solution.

I’ve always thought of cars and the auto industry as big culprits in terms of pollution and climate change, not our big buildings offering dozens of safe, affordable apartments for mothers with children, veterans, seniors, refugees, formerly homeless individuals and others. But it turns out buildings are gas guzzlers, too, and in a surprisingly big way, when powered with so-called “natural” gas.

Buildings are one of the largest and fastest-growing sources of climate pollution in Washington, contributing about one-quarter (23%) of our state’s carbon emissions. Why should I also care about climate change and LIHI’s buildings when homelessness is at an all-time high? One reason is that last summer’s heat waves, which killed hundreds across the Northwest, hit homeless people and those in poorly insulated houses the hardest. Another is that those with the lowest incomes will have the longest, toughest financial recovery from the recent devastating floods.

My first priority is to end homelessness by dramatically growing our affordable housing options, opening tiny house villages and converting hotels into shelter. However, the urgency of putting roofs over heads does not mean we must mortgage our future. I also want our building stock to contribute to community health over the long-term, addressing the housing crisis and the climate crisis together. We can do that through all-electric building to ensure fossil fuel-free housing.

My vocabulary in recent years has expanded to include not only “heat dome” and “atmospheric river,” but also the far more pleasant “electric heat pump.” While several years ago many people thought of “green buildings” as something for the upper income brackets, now we see building green as smart and cost effective for those on limited incomes. No one should live in “leaky buildings,” ones that are uncomfortably drafty, cold and even moldy from moisture coming in. Building energy codes, while a dull-sounding term, are exciting for our sector in terms of the benefits the codes bring to residents who can live in physical comfort. We must pay attention to “building envelopes” that help keep buildings airtight, not leaky — cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.

Going all-electric also makes smart financial sense for those of us working in the affordable housing sector. When it comes to financing affordable housing, raising money for capital costs is almost always easier than ensuring we have enough operating funds for the life of the building and its tenants. When we spend the money up front to make buildings more energy-efficient with electric heat pumps for space and water heating, our long-term utility costs go down. Investing in energy efficiency for these multifamily buildings helps build long-term economic resilience for the entire housing market.

Washington state has committed to a goal of zero carbon buildings by 2031. In the next few months, the Washington State Building Code Council (SBCC) will determine a new set of building energy codes, including the use of efficient electric heat pumps for space and water heating in new commercial and large multifamily buildings. Setting these new standards could have significant environmental and social benefits that we in the affordable housing community would like to see. In the coming weeks the building code council is opening a public comment period so that we can lend our voices to the decision-making process. In tandem, state legislators will discuss bills on energy codes and building performance standards in the upcoming legislative session. The benefits for the affordable housing sector could be enormous.

When Washingtonians suffer through extreme weather events, those living in buildings built to the highest standards of energy code fare the best. And in this year of devastating climate-driven wildfires, and unprecedented and deadly heat waves and flooding, it has never been more necessary for everyone to have access to healthy, climate-ready and energy-efficient buildings, regardless of race or income.

When people think of affordable housing advocacy they often think more about homelessness and less about energy efficiency or commercial energy codes. But developing affordable housing cannot just be about getting homes built as fast as possible. We need to build thoughtfully and sustainably. We must all do our part to address climate change, starting with smart all-electric building energy codes.

Sharon Lee is executive director of the Low Income Housing Institute. Its mission is to develop, manage and advocate for low-income housing throughout Seattle and Western Washington. LIHI owns or manages 60 properties containing more than 3,000 housing units.

Filed Under: Industry, Policy and Legislation, Washington

Subscribe to NEEC Updates via email

2021 Impact Snapshot

ECONorthwest Reports

Report cover

Two reports, commissioned by NEEC, provide quantitative results on the economic development effects of energy efficiency in WA and OR

View Reports

Events Calendar

Loading view.
  • There are no upcoming events.
  • May 2022

Calendar of Events

M Mon

T Tue

W Wed

T Thu

F Fri

S Sat

S Sun

0 events, 25

0 events, 26

0 events, 27

0 events, 28

0 events, 29

0 events, 30

0 events, 1

0 events, 2

0 events, 3

0 events, 4

0 events, 5

0 events, 6

0 events, 7

0 events, 8

0 events, 9

0 events, 10

0 events, 11

0 events, 12

0 events, 13

0 events, 14

0 events, 15

0 events, 16

0 events, 17

0 events, 18

0 events, 19

0 events, 20

0 events, 21

0 events, 22

0 events, 23

0 events, 24

0 events, 25

0 events, 26

0 events, 27

0 events, 28

0 events, 29

0 events, 30

0 events, 31

0 events, 1

0 events, 2

0 events, 3

0 events, 4

0 events, 5

  • There are no upcoming events.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
View Calendar

Recent News Posts

New NEEC Blog Series on Challenges & Opportunities of Clean Energy Future

March 3, 2021

NEEC & SBC Welcome New Team Member

May 24, 2022

New Resources: Understanding Your Building’s Path to Carbon Neutral

May 24, 2022

Business Sign-on Letter for Skills Training

May 24, 2022

“Decarbonizing the Northwest” Summer Webinar Series

May 4, 2022

Training Topic: PSE’s Clean Buildings Accelerator Program Options for Vendors & Contractors

May 4, 2022

LinkedIn   Facebook

Northwest Energy Efficiency Council · Pacific Tower, 1200 12th Ave. S., Suite 110, Seattle, WA 98144 · info@neec.net · Contact Us

© 2022 · Northwest Energy Efficiency Council