Green Canopy Homes buys ‘Clara, Zelda, Louise’ in White Center
Just announced by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission:
Green Canopy Homes, a Seattle company, purchased three existing homes today to be rebuilt with quality, energy efficiency, and today’s lifestyles in mind. The company has the tradition of naming their homes upon purchase. Clara, Zelda, and Louise are neighboring homes which were up for sale at the same time in White Center.
“This was a great opportunity for us,” says Aaron Fairchild, CEO of Green Canopy, “and our first opportunity to save the character of a neighborhood by purchasing three homes side by side. We will make these homes more efficient, more livable and comfortable as well as lower the carbon footprint.” Green Canopy re-uses and remodels homes in local neighborhoods using leading efficiency methods and materials, while keeping the original charm and character intact. Even though these homes will use 50% less energy, the prices will be at market with no “premium in price” for the energy costs savings.
Green Canopy Homes was able to borrow funds from the Sustainable Energy Trust (“SET”) at an interest rate well below market. “We are glad that Green Canopy Homes was able to borrow from this fund,” explains Karen Miller, Chair of the Washington State Housing Finance Commission. “The legislature created the authority for the Commission to create and administer the SET; however, we received no state or tax-payer money. The Commission was able to raise dollars for the fund to meet the legislative directive ‘to provide financing for qualified improvement projects.’ This is the first of hopefully many projects that will demonstrate the economic benefits of energy efficiencies and renewables.”
The homes to be retrofitted currently average 850 sq. ft. In addition to the improvements of ductless heat pumps, water efficiencies, new windows, and upgraded insulation, all three homes will have “great” rooms added bringing them in line with life-style expectations. Mr. Fairchild adds, “We think long-term about our work’s impact on the environment, and seek to create a community of urban dwellers who care about their neighborhood and their footprint within it. We are happy to partner with the Commission and SET to bring better and more efficient homes to Seattle.”
The Washington State Housing Finance Commission is a publicly accountable, self-supporting team, dedicated to increasing housing access and affordability, and to expanding the availability of quality community services for the people of Washington. The Commission accomplishes this by working with the investment community, nonprofit organizations, developers, first-time homebuyers, and beginning farmers and ranchers to bring private investment dollars to benefit families and achieve public goals in Washington, including energy efficient development and renewable energy resources.
We’re checking to see if we can find out more about where these homes are located.
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December 1st, 2012 at 12:17 pm
I live a block South of these three homes on 24th Ave SW, and I think I can speak for much of the neighborhood when I say that we have nervously watched as those homes were placed on the market. It felt like one of those moments that could really define the neighborhood-for better or worse. I am so happy with your project! A sensible and sensitive update/upgrade with huge efficiency advances-awesome! Thanks to all who have helped make this happen. It will be exciting to watch it come together.
-Elliot
December 1st, 2012 at 3:34 pm
Hi, Elliot. When we first heard of this, we didn’t have word of the addresses, and now we know they’re not actually in White Center – they’re in West Seattle, as I imagine are you, since WC is actually several blocks south. I was there when the project team met with neighbors on Thursday afternoon and plan to publish a story on our partner site West Seattle Blog on Sunday. It does indeed seem like an innovative project.