Michele Knab Hasson
Upgrading multi-family affordable housing with energy efficiency (EE) retrofits such as better appliances, lighting and insulation means low-income residents can enjoy the benefits of lower utility bills, better air quality and improved health while reducing energy waste—a boon for all of us, including the most vulnerable.
Unfortunately, some of the materials used to make these upgrades pose significant health risks to residents, workers, and the surrounding community, contributing to cancer, respiratory disease and developmental and reproductive harm.
A new report by Energy Efficiency for All (EEFA)—Making Affordable Multifamily Housing More Energy Efficient: A Guide to Healthier Upgrade Materials—offers a comprehensive guide for builders and policymakers in the use of readily available, healthier insulation and sealing materials, presenting policy frameworks to accelerate these materials’ adoption and improve air quality, both inside homes and outside, for better community health.
