Early Wins with our Repair Parnership with the Energy Trust of Oregon
When “Kevin” first connected with West Tuality Habitat for Humanity, the most urgent concerns inside his home weren't related to heating. As a Korean War veteran in his nineties living in a manufactured home in Cornelius, his home required other significant health and safety repairs through Habitat's HUD Healthy Homes program before energy improvements could become the priority.
Even as those repairs were completed, one major concern remained. Kevin's aging electric forced-air furnace had become so expensive to operate that he rarely turned it on except when absolutely necessary. Although the system still functioned, the cost of running it made staying comfortably warm throughout the winter financially unrealistic.
Rather than letting the project end there, West Tuality Habitat continued looking for opportunities to improve Kevin's home. When staff returned to his manufactured home community to assist additional neighbors through Energy Trust of Oregon's Community Partner Funding program, they revisited Kevin's earlier energy assessment. After confirming that his household circumstances remained unchanged, Energy Trust allowed the original assessment to continue moving forward, avoiding unnecessary delays and allowing the project to proceed.
Working alongside Olvera Heating & Cooling, Kevin received a new high-efficiency ducted heat pump system to replace his aging electric forced-air furnace. The project also addressed indoor air quality by improving the home's return-air system so insulation from the furnace room would no longer be drawn into the HVAC system.
Kevin's story illustrates what can happen when organizations and community-oriented contractors can work together over time instead of focusing on a single repair. By addressing critical health and safety concerns through the Healthy Homes program and later providing no-cost energy-efficiency upgrades through Energy Trust of Oregon, Habitat was able to help ensure that Kevin can continue living independently in a home that is safer, healthier, more comfortable, and now significantly more affordable to heat.
His project also represents just one step in a larger effort. Like many of his neighbors within the manufactured home community, Kevin has since received a home energy assessment for a no-cost heat pump water heater through Energy Trust's Community Partner Funding program. As West Tuality Habitat continues developing implementation pathways for these installations, we look forward to returning to complete additional energy-efficiency improvements that further reduce household energy costs and improve long-term home performance.
