BELLEVUE, Wash. – October 11, 2024 – Today, Torsten Hirche, President and CEO of Transforming Age, accepted a $2.88 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The Northwest Regional Administrator for HUD, Andrew Lofton, traveled to Bellevue, Washington to award the $2,880,000 grant to Wildwood Court Apartments as part of the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP) to support significant energy efficiency and climate resilience renovations for this affordable housing community. Downtown Action to Save Housing (DASH), an affiliate of Transforming Age, which owns Wildwood Court Apartments, will use the funding to bring in clean energy, reduce water consumption, upgrade appliances to energy efficient models, advance Net Zero initiatives, and improve the quality of life for residents.
“This funding is crucial for our mission to serve the triple bottom line: mission-impact, sustainability, and efficiency,” Said Hirche at the award ceremony earlier today, “We believe in accessible housing for all and are committed to sustainability. Our Net Zero initiatives aim to reduce our carbon footprint and foster a healthier environment. This grant will help Wildwood Court implement technologies to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, potentially lowering electric bills for residents. We are honored and grateful.”
Wildwood Court was one of DASH’s first acquisitions, beginning the organization’s affordable housing legacy back in 1996. The community is of a certain vintage and the retrofit grant funding will allow for much-needed modernization, sustaining the community for years to come.
“As stewards, we felt the call to action to apply for this grant on behalf of Wildwood Court,” says Alicia Hopper, Vice President of Affordable Housing for Transforming Age. “It is aligned with our strategic plans, and goals of our Net Zero and asset preservation initiatives.” Hoppers also heads up CIRC, DASH’s sister non-profit affiliate that delivers resident services amid the 41 affordable housing communities within the Transforming Age nonprofit network. CIRC provides a dedicated team of resident service coordinators that address housing stability issues head-on. CIRC is unique in their approach to providing resident services, leveraging neighborhood networks to provide vital resources which support and promote sustainable wellbeing.
“I am thrilled to join Transforming Age in Bellevue to award over $2.8 million to Wildwood Court Apartments, marking a significant step forward in HUD’s mission to enhance the quality of life for low-income residents,” said HUD Northwest Regional Administrator Andrew Lofton. “These crucial upgrades will provide safer, more energy-efficient homes, demonstrating our commitment to building a greener future for all.”