Washington’s Low-Income Weatherization Plus Health Program (L-I WX) helps over 2,800 households each
year reduce their energy bills by completing cost effective energy efficiency upgrades, minor home repairs and
addressing health and safety concerns. Lowering energy bills helps families free up money to meet other basic
needs like food, health care and clothing. We know when children have a warm, environmentally healthy and
safe place to live they do better in school.
The Request
 Appropriating $28 million for Low-Income Weatherization Plus Health Program over the next
biennium will help maintain level funding, help maximize investor owned and public utility matching
funds and allow for expansion of the Weatherization Plus Health component of the program.
We Believe That:
 It is only fair that everyone has a safe, decent place to live, and that a stable home allows people to
build better lives.
 Children deserve an opportunity to do well in school, and having a stable home and healthy indoor
environment increases their chances of success.
 Working families, veterans, seniors, the disabled and people on fixed income should be able to
afford housing, to heat it and still have enough money for groceries, medical care, and other basic
necessities.
 The Need
 The low-income weatherization network has weatherized over 128,000 homes and estimates there are
currently over 120,000 yet to be upgraded.
 As communities change and the housing stock ages the cost of renting, owning and maintaining
housing continues to increase, the Low-Income Weatherization Plus Health Program strives to address
this by reaching out to the most vulnerable people in our communities to help stabilize their housing
situation and ease the cost of their housing burden.
 The Low-Income Weatherization Plus Health Program lowers energy bills, improves the quality of
housing, keeps people in their homes and helps preserve the states affordable housing stock.
 On average people living in single-family residences receiving weatherization save $270 per year on
their energy bills. Many low income households spend as much as 25% of their income on energy bills.
 Creating Jobs and Boosting Washington’s Economy
 Public funds invested in this program leverages utility, homeowner and property owner funds at
better than 1:1. The collective impact of the program lies in the combined efforts of investor
owned and public utilities, State Government and the Low - Income Weatherization provider
network.
 Weatherization providers purchase materials from local vendors and contract with more than 250
small businesses across the state to provide services in support of the weatherization program.
 Building on a History of Success
 The Weatherization Plus Health Program provides other benefits besides energy savings. These
“non-energy” benefits accrue to utilities and ratepayers (mostly due to reductions in delinquent
bills), participants (improved health, comfort, stabile housing, etc.), and society (strengthens
economy and reduces carbon output).
 The Department of Commerce contracts 26 local agencies to do weatherization, minor home
repairs and provide home energy conservation education in every county in Washington.
 The program is the primary deliverer of weatherization of mobile homes. The retention of mobile
homes as affordable housing is a critical component of our states affordable housing inventory.
Low-Income Weatherization Plus Health: The Nexus of Housing, Health and Weatherization
Substandard housing is a huge problem in Washington and the Low-Income Weatherization Plus
Health program is the only statewide program addressing it. The delivery of Weatherization Plus
Health services is a cost-effective alternative to high numbers of hospitalizations, loss of work and
productivity due to preventable illness or injury.
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The CDC says trip and fall hazards are the number one reason seniors and disabled people
access the emergency room and are hospitalized. Unaddressed, these hazards cost our
state millions in public funds and cause pain and suffering for many of out most vulnerable
citizens.
Weatherization Plus Health reduces in-home asthma triggers and teaches families how to maintain
a healthier indoor living environment. A half million adults and 104,000 children in Washington
State suffer from asthma. Studies show that exposure to tobacco smoke, certain allergens (dust
mites, cockroaches, rodents, pests, and pet dander), and other environmental irritants increase the
risk of developing, or losing control of, asthma. Identifying asthma triggers in the home
environment is a critical component to reducing and controlling asthma in our state.
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Asthma hospitalizations in Washington cost $73.2 million in 2010 alone; 60% of these costs
were paid for by public funds.
25% of 10th graders with asthma missed at least one school day due to asthma in 2010.
Asthma is the number one cause of hospitalizations for children under 15 years of age in
Washington.
Very young children (age 1-4) are most likely to be hospitalized for asthma.
For every $1 invested in in-home asthma interventions, the return on investment ranges
from $5-$14.
The Low-Income Weatherization Plus Health Program helps create energy efficient, healthy and
safe living environments, preserves existing affordable housing and stabilizes neighborhoods.
For more Information contact Dave Finet, WSCAP [email protected] 360-739-7953 or
Merritt Mount, Executive Director WSCAP [email protected] 360-888-8033
Or go to http://www.wapartnership.org for a list of Washington State Community Action Partnership
member agencies click Who We Are.