A Guide to Receiving Weatherization Services
To qualify for weatherization services, you must meet state income guidelines. The interactive Eligibility Questionnaire will
help you determine if you can apply for weatherization assistance
and guide you through the steps necessary to apply. If you are a renter,
your landlord will have to fill out forms as well. If you have questions,
please call us at (206) 214-1240. If you are a renter in a multifamily apartment complex, please call us for assistance.
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KCHA contractors
install insulation into a house wall. |
Along with the application you must submit verification of all
household income for the full three months
preceding your application. Acceptable income verifications include:
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Copies of pay stubs
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Letter from social security
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Unemployment printout from Employment Security Dept.
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Self-employment; copies of self-employment records or of annual
tax return
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Direct deposit pension or direct deposit social security; the
bank statement can be used for verification of pension income
and social security income as well as verification of your social
security number.
Other verifications that must be included:
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Copy of Social Security card showing name and Social Security
number.
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Address verification; copy of utility bill, preferably from your
home heating source, i.e., Puget Sound Energy, Seattle City Light,
etc., showing account number, name and address of responsible
party living in the home.
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Documentation of household members may be requested at a later
date.
Building owners are encouraged to contact our office for information
about weatherization funding opportunities for their structures.
The King County Housing Authority uses several factors to prioritize
applications, including date of application and fuel source (where
funding is provided by particular utilities). KCHA gives preferences
to households in emergencies or those containing seniors, young children
or people with disabilities. Due to limited funds, there may be an
extensive waiting period for service for some applicants.
Please send all weatherization applications to:
King County Housing Authority
Housing Repair & Weatherization
5200 Southcenter Blvd, Suite 280
Tukwila, WA 98188
Useful Tips to Weatherize Your Home
Whether or not you take advantage of our Weatherization program,
these tips supplied by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office
of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy can help you:
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First, test your home for air tightness. On a windy day, hold
a lit incense stick next to your windows, doors, electrical boxes,
plumbing fixtures, electrical outlets, ceiling fixtures, attic
hatches, and other locations where there is a possible air path
to the outside. If the smoke stream travels horizontally, you
have located an air leak that may need caulking, sealing, or weatherstripping.
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Caulk and weatherstrip doors and windows that leak air.
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Caulk and seal air leaks where plumbing, ducting, or electrical
wiring penetrates through exterior walls, floors, ceilings, and
soffits over cabinets.
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Install rubber gaskets behind outlet and switch plates on exterior
walls.
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Professionals
use a "blower door" to measure air leakage from
a home. |
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Look for dirty spots in your insulation, which often indicate
holes where air leaks into and out of your house. You can seal
the holes by stapling sheets of plastic over the holes and caulking
the edges of the plastic.
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Install storm windows over single-pane windows or replace them
with double-pane windows. Storm windows as much as double the
R-value of single-pane windows and they can help reduce drafts,
water condensation, and frost formation. As a less costly and
less permanent alternative, you can use a heavy-duty, clear plastic
sheet on a frame or tape clear plastic film to the inside of your
window frames during the cold winter months. Remember, the plastic
must be sealed tightly to the frame to help reduce infiltration.
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When the fireplace is not in use, keep the flue damper tightly
closed. A chimney is designed specifically for smoke to escape,
so until you close it, warm air escapes —24 hours a day!
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For new construction, reduce exterior wall leaks by either installing
house wrap, taping the joints of exterior sheathing, or comprehensively
caulking and sealing the exterior walls.
Useful Links
Washington
Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development Weatherization
Seattle
Office of Housing Homewise Program