State of Washington Low-Income Housing Energy Efficiency Strategy

The State of Washington engaged HR&A Advisors to conduct a Needs Assessment for Equitable Energy Assistance to better serve thousands of low-income households that face high energy costs and unhealthy living conditions at home. HR&A presented 15 recommendations and a roadmap to achieve equitable decarbonization by 2050, informed by voices of environmentally burdened communities across the state.

While existing energy efficiency programs assist many households in affording utility bills and receiving home weatherization assistance, meeting the true scale of need and fulfilling Washington State’s climate goals to achieve full decarbonization by 2050 requires transformative changes. The Washington State Department of Commerce enlisted HR&A to conduct a needs assessment, which involved evaluating current programs, mapping the energy assistance ecosystem, identifying gaps in existing services, and setting goals. The gap analysis was based on granular estimates of the need for weatherization and energy bill assistance across the state to demonstrate the gap between existing deployment and estimated need.

To center the voices of historically environmentally burdened communities, HR&A partnered with Firelands Workers Action — a community-based organization active in rural Washington advocating for healthier homes and livable wages. Firelands conducted a campaign to interview more than 600 participants to understand the challenges of energy efficiency services from the perspectives of low-income tenants and workers.

Through existing conditions analysis, literature review, stakeholder interviews, and program analysis, the HR&A-led team developed 15 recommendations to improve the State’s energy efficiency programs and achieve the State’s equitable decarbonization goals, followed by a detailed roadmap and implementation plan to realize these transformative changes. The State has been implementing many of HR&A’s recommendations within a year of the report being completed.