Keeping Members Safe in Extreme Temperatures

By Craig Reed

Residents in Oakridge are now enjoying low-cost heating and cooling from 24 recently installed ductless heat pumps—17 in homes in the Oakridge Manufactured Home Park and 7 in the Hillcrest Manufactured Home Park. The parks are owned by the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County and provide low-income, affordable housing within Oakridge city limits.

The nonprofit bought the Hillcrest park, with 30 units, in 2012. The Oakridge Park and its 63 units were purchased in 2016. Some of the park’s homes are owned by St. Vincent, and some by tenants who rent spaces. The 24 homes that received heat pumps are owned by St. Vincent.

“We were excited to be able to complete this project for our residents to lower energy costs and provide cooling as Oregon’s summers get warmer,” says Aaron Toneys, the nonprofit’s special projects manager. “We gave them the care they needed.”

Aaron says the project would not have happened without support from the Oregon Department of Energy and Lane Electric Cooperative, which helped St. Vincent secure project funding and private contractors to install the heat pumps.

“Without the funding from those 2, there was no way we would have been able to do this,” he says. “Big props to both of them for their support of this project.”

Oregon’s heat pump program provided about 2/3 of the cost, and Lane Electric contributed the other third. The total cost of the project was roughly $170,000 for the 24 installs, Aaron says.

“These heat pumps will help people feel comfortable and be safe during temperature extremes,” Aaron says. “The project was very much a priority for St. Vincent. Those homes serve the low-income community, a vulnerable community that includes at-risk seniors and small children. It provides them with low-cost cooling and heating, and indoor air quality benefits and protection from wildfire smoke.”

Since the project was completed at no cost to St. Vincent, the rent for those 24 units was not raised, Aaron says. Maintenance for the heat pumps is $150 per unit per year, and that cost will be the responsibility of St. Vincent.

“It was a feel-good thing,” says John Murray, Lane Electric’s energy services specialist.

John estimated the heat pumps could lower monthly electric bills for each home from $350 to $100 to $150.

“Helping with this project was a great opportunity for the cooperative to help our low-income members who can’t afford higher bills,” John says. “Providing affordable heat and air conditioning is important. And when there is smoke from wildfires, having no air conditioning can be a serious problem, so having AC in those homes now is much appreciated by those folks.”

St. Vincent de Paul owns and manages about 1,600 rentals for low-income residents in Lane, Linn, Marion, and Multnomah counties. The nonprofit is continually seeking to increase the inventory of affordable housing in the communities it serves while keeping rents as low as possible for residents who can’t afford market-rate housing.

St. Vincent staff seek outside funding and supplemental resources to better serve the tenants. About 200 of St. Vincent’s rentals have now received new heating/ cooling units.

The Oregon legislature allocated $15 million to the heat pump program in 2022. When landlords used all of the available funds, the legislature added $4 million more to the program in 2024.

“It’s an incredible program for affordable housing,” says Aaron, adding that legislators are discussing more funds for the program this year. “Programs like this are so appreciated and so important, allowing us to make upgrades to these affordable homes for people.”