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Healthy Homes, Healthy Neighborhoods

About the Program

The Healthy Homes, Healthy Neighborhoods program addresses big challenges on a small scale, one neighborhood at a time. By engaging with community groups, planning neighborhood events, and visiting hundreds of local households, our team's services help residents cut everyday costs, improve household health, and make Tacoma a better place to live. Check out some of the available resources below.

 

Services

Homebuyer Assistance

Have dreams of buying a home of your own? Tacoma is a wonderful place to live, between its parks, museums, concerts, arts, schools and universities, access to the greater outdoors, and food scene (and much more). Different resources help to keep the costs of buying a home affordable here:

Heating and Weatherization

    Available Rebates, Grants, and Zero-Interest Loans

     

    Electric Heating (Tacoma Power)

    Owner Occupied Homes

    • $500 toward a ductless heat pump
    • $1000 toward a central heat pump
    • $450 rebate to seal leaky air ducts
    • Up to 25% of costs toward replacement windows
    • Up to 50% of costs toward insulation
    • Grants for income eligible customers for windows and insulation

    -OR-

    Rental Property Owners

    • Rebates or loans for heat pumps 
    • Rebates or loans for windows
    • Rebates up to 100% of costs for insulation

    Contact the Energy Info Center: (253) 502-8363 | email

     

    Natural Gas Heating (Puget Sound Energy)

    • $350 toward a forced-air furnace or gas boiler
    • Up to $750 toward replacement windows
    • Up to $2,300 toward insulation - includes whole house air sealing, duct sealing
    • $800 toward an integrated space and water heating system
    • Free home energy assessments
    • Contact Andrea: (253) 476-6425 | email | web form

    Income-Qualified Weatherization Support

     

    Through Metropolitan Development Council, income-qualified residents (including renters with landlord approval) can receive:

    • Free household weatherization support
    • Contact Barbara: (253) 593-2336 | email 

        Monthly Income Eligibility

    • 1 person: $2,386
    • 2 person: $3,120
    • 3 person: $3,854
    • 4 person: $4,588
    • 5 person: $5,323
    • 6 person: $6,057

    Home Repair and Improvements

    Home Rehabilitation Loan

    Income Eligibility (annual income)

    • 1 person: $41,800
    • 2 persons: $47,800
    • 3 persons: $53,750
    • 4 persons: $59,700
    • 5 persons: $64,500

    Income-qualified Home Repair Support

    Through Rebuilding Together South Sound, income-qualified homeowners who live in the home they own can receive:

    • Up to $500 per program year for urgent, minor home repairs.
    • $501-$4,999 for one-time moderate home repair projects. 
    • Must be elderly, have a family with children, or live with a disability, and must be up to date on mortgage and property taxes
    • Contact Stephanie: (253) 238-0977 | email

    Income Eligibility (annual income)

    • 1 person: $26,148
    • 2 persons: $29,856
    • 3 persons: $33,600
    • 4 persons: $37,296
    • 5 persons: $40,296

    Tacoma Tool Library

    • Visit the Tacoma Tool Library to access tools, skills, and the DIY community only for a suggested donation
    • Donate your extra tools
    • Visit at 754 South 38th Street: Wednesdays, 5-8 PM, and Saturdays, 10 AM-5 PM
    • Contact: (954) 866-5253 | email | web page

    Wood Burning Devices

    As recently as February 2015, Tacoma-Pierce County was one of only 32 areas in the country that did not meet federal health standards for air quality. To address this problem, the Wood Stove Rule went into effect October 1, 2015 making it illegal to operate an uncertified wood burning stove in Tacoma.

    Lighting

    Upgrade your lighting so your rooms are bright and welcoming this winter, while cutting energy bills. With new LEDs, you can save 80% on lighting costs between instant discounts in stores and additional savings as soon as you change out your old incandescent bulb.

    Water

    While it may seem abundant, only 1% of all water on earth is fit for human use. Yet, the average American family uses over 300 gallons each day. Luckily, it can be easy to save water (as well as the energy used to heat it) and cut your bills.

     

    Don't Be a Water Waster

    Trees

    Trees are amazing. They clean our air and water, beautify our neighborhood, and raise property values. All across Tacoma, we’re working with citizens to expand our urban forests. Together, we can protect and restore Puget Sound.

     

    Add some green to our lives:

    Gardening

    Roll up your sleeves: gardening in your yard or in containers will reduce your carbon footprint and exposure to harmful chemicals. It's a great opportunity to teach your kids, put healthy food on the table, and save money on groceries.

     

    Get started at home with award-winning TAGRO fertilizer, soil, and mulch products.

    Rain gardens help reduce storm water runoff, provide attractive landscaping features, and are easy to maintain. Pierce County Conservation District has programs that can cut the cost of a rain garden nearly in half.

    • More rain garden information from Pierce Conservation District: Website
    • Contact Melissa: (253) 845-9770 x109 | email

     

    Don't have the space for a home garden? Learn from neighbors and grow your own food at a community garden, or find an orchard or food forest near you.

    Waste

    All waste goes somewhere. That's why in Tacoma we reduce, reuse, or recycle before we get there. Put your recycling and food/yard waste containers to good use, and benefit from space saved in your green garbage container. A neighbor will thank you when your garbage doesn't end up in their backyard.

    Transportation

    We have an abundance of ways to get around Tacoma and the surrounding area.

     

    Public Transit

    There are many public transit options nearby to take you around Tacoma, north to Seattle, or south to Olympia.

    • Pierce Transit
      • Their buses run all throughout Pierce County, including the area throughout Tacoma.
      • Visit their website for more info.
    • Sound Transit
    • Intercity Transit
      • They have regular buses to Olympia from the Tacoma Mall Transit Center, Tacoma Dome Station, and the SR-512 Park & Ride.
      • For more info, visit their website.

    Biking

    • There are a number of great bike trails and lanes throughout Tacoma.
    • Not ready to bike all the way to your destination? All local transit buses are equipped with bike racks.
    • For more info, visit the Downtown: On the go! website

    See an Efficient, Sustainable Home in Action

    Visit the EnviroHouse at the Tacoma Recovery and Transfer Center and take free, hands-on sustainability workshops.

    • 3510 South Mullen Street
    • General Public Hours: Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday 10 AM-3 PM, and Saturday and Sunday 11 AM-5 PM.
    • Contact: (253) 573-2426| email

     

    Want to lend a hand? Our volunteers make an impact.

    Call (253) 591-5173 or email us.

     

    Program Staff

    Patrick Babbitt

    Director

    (253) 591-5173

    email