• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Corvallis Sustainability Coalition logo

Corvallis Sustainability Coalition

Addressing our most pressing sustainability issues at the local Corvallis level and beyond

  • ABOUT US
    • Leadership
    • Partners
      • Partner Organizations
    • Vision, Mission, Goals
    • Solidarity
    • Action Plan
      • Our Action Planning Process
    • History
  • WHAT WE DO
    • Action Teams
      • Water
        • Bald Hill Project
        • Filtering Wetland
        • Mill Race
        • Lamprey Creek
        • Oak Creek
        • Dixon Creek
        • School Arboretums
        • 3 Waters Project
        • Creek Tours
        • Water Resources
      • Waste Prevention
        • Benton To Go
        • No Food Left Behind
        • Recycling Captain
        • ReUse Directories
        • Rx Bottle Reuse
        • Waste Resources
      • Transportation
        • Safer Streets
        • Electric Vehicles (EVs)
        • Get On Board!
        • Transportation Resources
      • Natural Areas
        • Natural Areas Celebration Week
        • Backyard Wildlife Connections
        • Neighborhood Roots
        • Natural Areas Resources
      • Land Use
        • Parking in Corvallis: A Community Conversation
        • Parking in Corvallis: Exploring Solutions
        • Land Use Resources
      • Housing
        • Sustainable Housing
        • Housing for Everyone
        • Housing Resources
      • Health & Human Services
        • Community Air Quality Monitoring
        • Green Cleaning Products
        • Health & Human Services Resources
      • Food
        • It’s On Us Corvallis
        • Farm to Table Month
        • Garden Resource Guide
        • Edible Garden Tours
        • Simply Seasonal Recipes
        • Gardening & Food Resources
      • Energy
        • Solarize Corvallis
          • Solarize Corvallis Participation
        • Home Energy Score
        • Residential Energy Efficiency
        • The Future of Natural Gas
        • Energy Resources
      • Education
        • Reducing Plastics in Our Schools
      • Economic Vitality
        • 3rd Thursday
        • Buy Local First
        • Saving Green
        • Business of the Week
        • Economic Vitality Resources
      • Community Inclusion
        • Equity Impact Assessment
        • Community Inclusion Resources
    • Coalition News & Events
      • E-Updates
    • Community Events
    • In the News
    • Coalition Gatherings
    • COVID-19 Resilience
      • Official COVID-19 Information
      • Action Team Resources
      • Partner Resources
  • GET INVOLVED
    • Join the Coalition
    • Volunteer
    • Calendar
    • Get Informed
  • DONATE
  • Show Search
Hide Search
Home/What We Do/Action Teams/Housing/Sustainable Housing

Sustainable Housing

Want help evaluating your home’s energy usage? Home Retrofit Clinics are offered by Nancy Evenson, one of our volunteers who is a retired architect. She helps homeowners evaluate their existing home energy usage and establish a path forward to improve sustainability.

To sign up for the next clinic or for more information, contact Nancy Evenson.

The most effective steps to retrofit an older home:

  • Conserve energy with thermal barriers under deep insulation
  • Upgrade windows (including storm windows), seal leaks in envelope
  • Install heat pumps to heat/cool, to heat water, and to dry clothes
  • Install solar PV panels or other renewable energy source
  • Install other energy efficient appliances such as an induction cooktop

What is Sustainable Housing?

The ultimate in sustainable homes produce more renewable energy than they consume, harvest water from rain, recycle all wastes, and build with nontoxic, locally sourced materials. Even if we do not accomplish this high standard, we encourage homeowners to electrify and conserve energy for increased comfort and savings.

Why is Sustainable Housing Important?

Sustainable homes help save the planet by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Existing buildings operated with fossil fuels generate at least a third of all greenhouse gas emissions in the USA. Newer technologies, like heat pumps, offer solutions. Sustainable homes also save occupants money and are more comfortable.

Heating buildings and water with fossil fuels is rapidly heating our planet. Currently, Oregon’s existing buildings contribute at least a third of our state’s greenhouse gas emissions. Even if we improve building codes, without retrofits most of today’s buildings will still emit greenhouse gases in 2050. Optimum insulation and electrification of existing buildings–powered by renewable energy like solar or wind– would significantly slow the rate our planet’s warming. (OR Global Warming Commission 2020.) Further, as our planet warms, we will face water shortages so buildings that harvest rain and reuse gray water will be increasingly desirable.


A list of valuable sustainable housing resources can be found here.

Primary Sidebar

GET INVOLVED

MEETINGS
The Housing Action Team meets on the second Monday of each month from 12 noon to 1:00 pm.

CONTACT US!
Email the Housing Action Team.

GOOGLE GROUP
Join the Housing Action Team Google Group to get up-to-date info on our activities.

VOLUNTEER
Learn more about volunteering, fill out an application, and we'll hook you up.

Download a copy of the Housing vision, goals, strategies and actions outlined in Community Sustainability: A Framework for Action.

Recent Housing Posts

Annual Meeting • Thursday, January 19, 2023

January 2, 2023

Missed the recent 2023 annual meeting? You can catch all the great presentations on the video here!

Safe Shelter through Collaborative Care

May 31, 2022

Join us Wednesday, June 29 at 12 noon for the moving and eye-opening story of SafePlace.

Housing First Facility Is Solarized

May 1, 2022

Solar panels funded in part by the local community are now up and running on the roof of Third Street Commons, formerly known as the Budget Inn.

More Posts from this Category

ACTION TEAMS

  • Community Inclusion
  • Economic Vitality
  • Education
  • Energy
  • Food
  • Health & Human Services
  • Housing
  • Land Use
  • Natural Areas
  • Transportation
  • Waste Prevention
  • Water
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Explore more

JOIN THE COALITION! SUBSCRIBE TO EMAIL UPDATES CONTACT US

Footer

Corvallis Sustainability Coalition

PO Box 2310
Corvallis, OR 97339

Copyright © 2023 · Corvallis Sustainability Coalition

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Our Privacy Policy