"One Home at a Time" in partnership with the Human Resource Council
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The Human Resource Council (HRC) is our local non-profit agency that provides energy efficiency and weatherization for homes of our low-income neighbors. The HRC has the the expertise and workforce yet their hands are tied because the bar is high for what projects their funding allows. It’s so limited that they have to pass on many good measures even when it saves a homeowner energy and money. So we step in to provide gap funding - think of it as “last mile” support.
Here’s how it works: Low-income homeowners contact the HRC. Those income-eligible receive a home energy audit. The energy audit looks at what measures are needed -- from insulating ceiling and walls, to fixing windows, to providing more efficient hot water tanks, to caulking cracks and upgrading lighting -- and then they crunch the numbers. How much energy is saved and what is the cost of the measure? Some things pencil out and are “a go”. But with relatively low cost of natural gas and electricity, some measures that make a heckuva a lot of sense, don’t quite meet the threshold. (It all has to do with NorthWestern Energy and federal funding rules.) All too often HRC has to walk away from a project entirely or they can provide just a couple weatherization measures on a home, leaving others undone. This is where Climate Smart Missoula and the Footprint Fund come in. We have more flexibility on where funds are spent and what we can support. We have the ability to crunch the numbers, so that we know not just the cost but the energy benefit too. What’s the end result? Healthier, cozier homes, lower energy bills, less energy wasted, a lower carbon footprint for Missoula. We all feel good - the homeowners and the folks that supported this effort! |
To date the HRC has used the Footprint Fund to fund insulation, doors, and windows in ~10 homes! Without our $$, these improvements would not have happened!
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Meet Glenda!
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In early 2025, the HRC received a rather desperate call from Glenda, a client whose ancient oil heated furnace kicked the can during a deep cold snap. She really wanted to replace this with an electric heat pump system and get off that dirty oil! HRC had the funds to purchase and install the heat pump system but not the needed electrical upgrade. So we stepped in with a new breaker box and wiring.
From Glenda: What perhaps thrills me the most about this energy-efficient heating-system upgrade is what it means for the future of this dwelling. Alberton is a tiny town with economically challenged citizens and oddly configured homes. To know that this house (originally built in the 1940s) is now part of a forward-leaning, human-centered program that invests in a better tomorrow, well, that is what heartens me most. This home has a good future, one that will better serve coming generations because of what we've done here. So, thank you, and the Human Resource Council and its weatherization program (and the benefactors of such); And a particularly big shout out to Climate Smart and the other contributors to the electrical upgrade that helped this miracle happen! |
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This is where you come in!
Some photos!
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