Low-income households often spend nearly 14% of their annual income on energy, compared to 3.5% for typical households. Weatherization can reduce utility bills by as much as 60% in some cases.
On a particularly biting January morning, the lobby of La Casa—a permanent supportive housing facility for formerly homeless men in the Columbia Heights neighborhood—remains a bustling hub of activity. But for the residents who call this building home, the refuge has historically been more conceptual than physical. Like many aging structures in the District, La Casa’s "bones" were sturdy, but its skin was porous. Drafts whistled through window frames; heat escaped through the roof like steam from a kettle. la casa weatherization