Strategies to Minimize Displacement: Weatherization
Introduction
Brownfields—or properties with environmental contamination or potentially contaminated land—are disproportionately located in or near communities of color and low-income communities. Residents near these properties may face heightened health hazards and economic disinvestment until the site undergoes assessment and cleanup, which can be costly and lengthy. Safely reusing a brownfield site is an opportunity to improve community health and bring in new amenities. However, brownfield redevelopment can also exacerbate affordability and displacement concerns. As property values increase and associated taxes, rents, and other costs rise, it becomes more expensive to live in a community. The result often is that lower-income residents and small businesses are displaced or pushed out of their neighborhoods. Early and meaningful community engagement in the brownfields reuse process presents an opportunity for the community to have a consequential role and input into future reuse determinations. Subsequently, community participation may increase opportunities to minimize displacement through the cleanup, planning, and reuse process. Community leaders, stakeholders, and practitioners can be proactive in implementing strategies to minimize the risk of displacement. These strategies take time, resources, and political will to implement, and they are most effective if initiated during the early planning stages of a project and implemented before displacement begins to occur.
Tool: Weatherization
Low-income families and individuals are often disproportionately burdened by their household energy costs, usually spending close to 14 percent on average of total annual income on energy bills compared to just 3 percent in higher-income households. High energy bills impact the ability to pay for other necessary expenses such as food and healthcare. Assisting low-income residents with home weatherization is an approach designed to reduce household energy costs. Weatherization activities improve the home’s ability to protect residents from rain, snow, deep freezes, excessive cold, and heat. Weatherization enables households to save money on their monthly energy bills because they do not have to consume as much energy to heat or cool their homes. Non-energy benefits of weatherization include improved health, safety, and comfort, which could include insulation, lead-safe weatherization, air infiltration mitigation, and procedures to identify, address, and prevent pre-existing health conditions in homes which are especially beneficial to low-income households. Weatherization reduces air pollution and increases affordable housing improves quality of life, while keeping costs down and creating job opportunities contributes to community economic growth.