Renew Boston – Neighborhood Network
Community Outreach
Renew Boston was established by the City of Boston . Renew Boston is being implemented in a context
where substantial energy efficiency programs are being developed at the state level; the MassSAVE
program is available to Renew Boston role is to:


Enhance outreach, and foster greater participation in the program
Conduct quality control and verification of emissions reduction measures
Engaging the Community
The City of Boston’s Climate Action Plan aims to have energy efficiency upgrades implemented in
150,000 households (65 percent of total) and 30,000 businesses (70 percent) by 20201. Retrofits will be
conducted through gas and electric utility rate-payer funded programs and Renew Boston administered
incentive programs; Renew Boston may incorporate additional financing tools and other program
elements in the future, over and above the utility programs. Thirty-one percent of all Boston’s emissions
reductions are anticipated to stem from these building upgrades2.
However, Renew Boston’s 65 percent home participation over ten years represents an ambitious target,
equating to roughly six percent of homes per year. From 2006-2009, participation in utility programs
was about 4500 households per year. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the recent economic downtown
has reduce the rate of program uptake, despite substantial incentives offered by Renew Boston and
other programs. However, Renew Boston’s residential participation plan relies on increasing
participation to 9,000 households per year from 2010-2012, and up to 15,000 households per year in
following years3. Renew Boston staff recognize that increasingly high participation will have to be
achieved in traditionally hard to reach sectors of the residential market: rental units, low- and
moderate-income households, and multifamily buildings4. In addition to being important from a climate
action perspective, the City recognizes that additional participation from these sectors is important of
equity grounds. These sectors pay into rate-payer funded energy efficiency programs, but may not
receive commensurate energy efficiency services if their participation is low.
1
Boston Climate Action Leadership Committee and Community Advisory Committee. 2010. Sparking Boston’s
Climate Revolution: Summary Report. Prepared for the City of Boston.
2
Ibid.
3
Renew Boston. March 2010. Phase 1 Recommendations. http://www.cityofboston.gov/Images_Documents/201003-30-renewboston-recommendations-phase1_tcm3-21888.pdf
4
City of Boston. August 2010. Request for Proposal: Community-Based Marketing and Outreach of Weatherization
and Energy Efficiency Services in Boston.
http://www.cityofboston.gov/Images_Documents/Renew%20Boston%20Community%20Marketing%20and%20Ou
treach%20RFP_Update_082710_tcm3-18956.pdf
Addressing unhealthy residential conditions and other pre-weatherization
barriers
Over and above the barriers that rental attributes of many residences preclude their immediate
participation in energy efficiency programs. These ‘pre-weatherization barriers’ include:


Knob and tube electrical wiring systems, which preclude insulation installations because of fire
risk such wiring entails.
Indoor environmental quality and health hazards, such as asbestos, lead paint, and mold. These
hazards can prevent contractors from safely disturbing walls to install insulation, likewise
preventing energy efficiency upgrades.
Current energy efficiency programs are not resourced to address these problems, and therefore
frequently cannot undertake upgrades to homes affected by these issues. Utility programs are designed
and funded to address only energy efficiency, and do not bankroll such pre-weatherization upgrades.
Such pre-weatherization barriers and commonly found in older buildings and the lower-income housing
stock, buildings which are typically relatively inefficient.
Moreover, health hazards are worthy of elimination through retrofit in their own right. Boston’s lowincome communities of color suffer high rates of childhood asthma, elevated levels lead in blood, and
other documented health risks5. Assessments have found indoor environmental quality to be one of the
most serious contributors to these trends6.
5
Boston Public Health Commission. 2010. Health of Boston 2010.
http://www.bphc.org/about/research/hob2010/Pages/Home.aspx;
6
Dorchester Environmental Health Coalition. 2003. The Dorchester Environmental Profile.
http://www.dehc.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/envprofile3.pdf
Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation. 2011. Job Description – Dorchester Bay Economic
Development Corporation. http://www.macdc.org/0309_Renew_Boston_Neighborhood_Network_Coordinator,_DBEDC.pdf
And Max MacCarthy. March 2011. Green Community Outreach Coordinator, Dorchester Bay Economic
Development Corporation. Personal Communication.
Three
In Fall 2010, Renew Boston contracted with thirteen community organizations to lead outreach efforts.
DBEDC hiring a neighborhood network coordinator. Lead outreach for South Boston, Dorchester,
Mattapan.
Crauderoff, Robert. January 2011. Greensboro, N.C. Better Buildings Program: Energy Efficiency as a
Pathway to Health and Wealth.
The City’s grant reads: “Guilford County Department of Public Health will train nurses, social workers
and others who regularly visit homes to do visual surveys of the houses for deficiencies and to offer
referrals for energy audits and healthy homes assessments.
Knob and Tube Finance
Internet chat groups indicate that knob and tube wiring can increase the costs of home insurance.
Research into this.