As part of the follow up to its Climate Action Framework, the City of Vancouver is exploring a Healthy and Climate-Smart Homes policy. Still in the very early stages, staff presented a workshop to City Council in October 2026. So that homebuilders have an understanding of what's being reviewed, we've prepared this policy briefing for your information.

At a glance

City staff asked Council to pick a priority audience and a level of City involvement for helping residents upgrade existing homes; no action was requested. The one-hour workshop opened the Oct. 12, 2026 Council session, ahead of the 2027–28 operating budget workshop.

Why existing homes

Most homes that will stand in 2040 already exist, so the City's 2040 carbon-neutrality goal depends on upgrading them. The Green Building Policy covers new construction, and the state's Clean Buildings Performance Standard covers large buildings; nothing comparable applies to single-family or small rental homes, so upgrades there are voluntary.

• Emissions: buildings produce 37% of communitywide GHG emissions (2023); residential energy is the largest share within that, at 15% of the total.
• Fuel mix: about 67% of homes heat with electricity and 31% with utility gas. Electricity is on a path to zero emissions by 2045 under CETA; gas use and its emissions rose 5% from 2019–2023.
• Heat: regional air temperatures are up almost 2°F since 1900. The 2021 heat dome killed 126 Washingtonians.
• Air quality: Ecology lists Vancouver among 16 communities statewide most affected by air pollution. Residents of those communities die 2.4 years earlier on average.
• Cost burden: 57% of renters are cost-burdened and 27% severely; more than 4,000 Clark County families get LIHEAP heating aid each year.
• Upfront cost: an air-source heat pump costs about $13,000 installed in Vancouver. A Cascadia study found 76% of low-income households could save about $500 a year by switching, if they can cover that cost.

What staff found

Existing programs are a real foundation but reach a small fraction of homes, fix one item at a time, and leave out households just above income limits.

Housing stock

• Tenure is nearly even: 52.4% owner-occupied, 47.6% renter-occupied. 88% of owners live in detached houses; 51% of owners are over 60.
• Of 89,916 occupied units, 50.3% are detached single-family, 8.6% are in 2-4 unit plexes, and 2.4% are mobile homes.
• About 30% of homes predate the 1985 State Energy Code and are likelier to lack insulation and efficient systems.
• Highest combined climate, health and equity vulnerability: the Fourth Plain corridor (Maplewood, Meadow Homes, Bagley Downs), Fruit Valley, central Vancouver south of SR-500, and southeast Vancouver.

Existing programs

Reach figures are reported differently by each program and are shown for context.

The main gaps staff named:

• Reach is small relative to need, and the City and County programs both have waitlists.
• Programs fund single items, so residents juggle several to get a whole-home result. HEAR, for example, installs heat pumps without the insulation that makes them work best.
• "Near-eligible" households above income limits get little help.
• Fuel-switching support is thin because of state rules on utilities, leaving room for the City to lead on electrification.
• Manufactured-home residents are underserved because grants, not loans, must fund their repairs.

What residents said

Staff talked with homeowners, renters, small property owners and past HEAR participants. Residents put affordability, healthy indoor air and a working home first; climate benefits matter most when they come with lower bills or more comfort.

• Homeowners asked four things: what does my home need, how do I navigate the options, who can I trust to do the work, and how can I afford it. They prefer direct help over loans.
• Renters have little control over upgrades and want lower, predictable bills, practical efficiency tips and low-cost DIY fixes.
• Small property owners focus on keeping tenants. They want money for larger upgrades and one place to find available programs; some said rebates drove their heat pump decision.
• Residents preferred live, interactive workshops to static online tools.

Options for the City's role

Staff framed three roles on a cost-versus-impact continuum; they can be combined and tailored to each audience. Staff did not recommend one.

Which Audience

Design choices that follow

The goal Council sets will shape the program along two tradeoffs:

• Depth vs. reach: spend more per home for comprehensive upgrades, or less per home to serve more households.
• GHG focus vs. broader benefits: target the measures that cut the most emissions, or widen eligibility to health and resilience upgrades like cooling and filtration.

The background report also suggests longer-term ideas: a one-stop resource center, partnering with community groups and Workforce Southwest Washington on a diverse contractor pipeline, and eventually tying basic energy standards to the rental registry.

What Council said

Council leaned toward a low-cost inform and navigate role: the City as a one-stop clearinghouse that coordinates partners, rather than a funder. Most members favored homeowners and income-qualified households, broad reach over deep per-home spending, and insulation-first, whole-home sequencing. Councilmember Fox did not comment. Discussion ran about 20 minutes.