Why are we doing this?

In February 2021, Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, and Thurston County accepted the Thurston Climate Mitigation Plan (TCMP) as the regional framework to substantially reduce local contributions to climate change. The TCMP identifies reducing energy use in existing residential buildings (Strategy B1) and converting to cleaner fuel sources (Strategy B6) as key strategies for local action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Additionally, in Fall 2022, the City conducted a fair housing survey to better understand local housing conditions and discrimination. Of the 600+ total respondents, approximately 300 were renters and 80 were Housing Choice Voucher participants. The top three environmental health concerns by renters were high heating costs or insufficient heat, high cooling costs, or insufficient cooling, and mold.

Implementation of the SHARE Accelerator supports the City’s housing and climate goals, both of which have been noted as top community priorities. Providing guidance and incentives for energy efficiency, building electrification, and renewable energy is a crucial step in achieving building decarbonization retrofits, improving the quality of local housing stock, and reducing energy burdens for renters.