The Low-Income Weatherization Program for Multifamily Provides Deep Technical Assistance and Builds Staff Capacity

Hollywood Community Housing Corporation’s (HCHC) Director of Asset Management Malen Rodriguez submitted applications for 12 properties soon after the Low-Income Weatherization Program for Multifamily Properties (LIWP-Multifamily) was launched in January 2016, making HCHC the first housing provider in Los Angeles County to access the program. LIWP-Multifamily gives owners a single point of contact to help identify the high-opportunity properties that best fit the program schedule. One of these properties was Views @ 270, which completed the retrofit in February 2017. The property is located less then 0.5 miles from the 101 Freeway in Hollywood.

LIWP-Multifamily is helping to pay for the first whole-building energy efficiency retrofits by the nonprofit affordable housing organization.

Before LIWP-Multifamily, Rodriguez had only accessed rebates and direct-install programs by the local utility providers. Now she affirms, “LIWP’s whole-building approach makes sense instead of piecemeal upgrades.” The most important aspect of the program for her is the consistent guidance and technical assistance she received from the Association for Energy Affordability energy analyst. From beginning to end, she felt supported and the experience broadened her knowledge about energy efficiency work. “LIWP benefits the retrofitted properties and my entire portfolio because I can apply what I learned to all my properties.”