Christian Church Homes scales energy savings across California
For more than sixty years, Christian Church Homes (CCH) has provided affordable housing for older adults, creating communities where seniors can live independently with dignity. Across its 49 properties in six states, the nonprofit developer has stayed true to its mission by offering homes where residents pay no more than 30 percent of their income toward rent.
But as CCH’s buildings aged, so did the performance of their systems and mechanicals.
“When you manage older buildings, maintenance never really stops,” said Marquelle Lee, associate director of facilities. “Our staff were constantly addressing the same issues, like outdated lighting, inefficient boilers, and aging HVAC.”
Building a California energy strategy
The organization learned about the Multifamily Energy Savings program through a connection and collaboration with their former sustainability director. They saw participating in the program as an opportunity to create a long-term efficiency strategy spanning across all its California communities.
“We were looking for ways of reducing our costs on a lot of our building systems that are aging. That’s how it all started,” said Rafael Nicolescu, director of property management with CCH.
Now, CCH has decided to enroll all 32 of its California properties into the Multifamily Energy Savings program, starting with an initial property then expanding across the portfolio over time.
The partnership will provide expert support, utility coordination, and funding to make upgrades possible across different properties, cities, and utilities.
Through scoping projects, coordinating vendors, and processing incentive paperwork for properties, the Multifamily Energy Savings program energy advisors are helping CCH streamline implementation. This allows CCH staff to focus on long-term planning and resident well-being instead of the administrative details of energy upgrades.
Via Pacifica Gardens
Garfield Park Village
Carquinez Vista Manor
Buttes Christian Manor
Lorenz Senior Apartments
Arbor Cove Senior Commons
Antioch Hillcrest Terrace
Sierra Meadows
Oak Meadows
Providence Senior Housing
Southlake Tower
Westlake Christian Terrace East
Bishop Roy C Nichols Senior Housing
Harrison Street Housing
Jefferson Street
Bancroft Senior Homes
Antioch Rivertown
Plaza de las Flores
Hotel Redding
Sylvester Rutledge
Margaret McDowell Manor
Fargo Senior Center
Beth Eden Housing
Westlake Christian Terrace West
Flower Park Plaza
Sycamore Place II
St. Mary's Garden
Tree House Senior
Sycamore Place I
Sister Thea Bowman
Percy Abrams Senior
Jarvis Gardens
“Working with Multifamily Energy Savings allows us to think bigger. Instead of tackling one property at a time, we can plan improvements across our entire portfolio.”
— Rafael Nicolescu,
Director of Property Management
Energy measures for the long-term
The Multifamily Energy Savings program and CCH are currently working together to identify which upgrades will have the greatest impact on efficiency, comfort, and long-term savings. By having all properties involved in the program, CCH can standardize most systems and streamline procurement across different properties to ensure consistency and save time.
Planned upgrades and plans for properties include:
“For a lot of our residents, this might be the last place they live. We want them to feel proud of where they are and comfortable in their homes. Doing these upgrades helps people feel they’re not forgotten.”
— Marquelle Lee,
Associate Director of Facilities
Up first: Via Pacifica Gardens
One of the first projects underway is Via Pacifica Gardens, an 80-unit senior community in Aptos, California. Built in 1987, the property had been struggling with aging lighting, inefficient water systems, and other recurring maintenance issues typical of older multifamily buildings.
At Via Pacifica, the improvements will not only modernize aging systems but also make daily life easier for both residents and staff, reducing maintenance calls, and improving temperature controls while brightening shared indoor gathering spaces. The upgrades will also improve safety, reliability, and the residents’ quality of life.
“Lighting and new HVAC systems may seem simple,” said CCH’s Associate Director of Property Management Kristy Koch, “but they mean safety, comfort, and dignity for our residents.”
Across CCH’s properties, 96% of residents are aged 62 or older. Of those, 52% are over 75, while 44% are between 62 and 75 years old. Many live on fixed or limited incomes, averaging around $17,000 per year. “For a lot of our residents, this might be the last place they live. We want them to feel proud of where they are and be comfortable in their homes,” said Lee.
For staff, CCH’s decision to take a portfolio-wide approach will also help them manage buildings more efficiently and sustainably and save energy and money across all its California communities.
“We’re looking at this not as a one-off thing but something we can build into how we manage properties going forward,” said Nicolescu. “The fact that we can look at the entire portfolio and start making progress, that’s huge for us. It feels like we’re finally getting ahead instead of reacting all the time.”
Learn more and apply
Want to improve resident comfort, reduce maintenance costs, and extend the life of your entire affordable housing portfolio?
The Multifamily Energy Savings program offers in-unit and common-area upgrades, plus no-cost technical assistance for affordable housing providers managing multiple properties.
Apply now to complete an interest form and see if your property or your full portfolio qualifies.
