Villagio Apartments: Multi-Solving for Climate & Affordability

Photo courtesy of Missoula Housing Authority.

It’s a true spring day, with pockets of sun interrupted by snow-filled gusts sweeping across the Missoula Valley. Sara Stout, outreach coordinator and grant writer for the Missoula Housing Authority, eagerly welcomes a small group of climate and building professionals into the lobby of the Villagio Apartments, one of Missoula’s newest affordable housing projects.

While there are many success stories that can be linked to the Villagio, the small group in the lobby is here to tackle a less visible - but highly impactful one: the benefits of energy efficiency for prolonged health and affordability.

Evan Hauser, project manager for MAH, steps out of the lobby office.

“You ready for the tour?” he asks as he shakes hands over a quick round of introductions.
Both Hauser’s and Stout’s enthusiasm over the pending tour – of bathroom faucets, ceiling fans, ENERGY STAR appliances and efficient water heaters – is infectious.

Evan and Sara showcasing a WaterSense sink faucet.

Stout leads the group to the fifth floor, to an unoccupied residence, where she ushers everyone into the spacious bathroom, the official first stop of the tour.

Stout turns on the sink faucet as Hauser explains that the fixture is a WaterSense product, which is an EPA designation much like ENERGY STAR, but focused on water conservation. The water aerators, coupled with the low-flow shower heads, are estimated to save the average U.S. household a combined 3,400 gallons of water per year. Not having to treat and pump that extra water into the building each year also results in significant community energy savings, reducing our valley’s overall greenhouse gas emissions.

MHA pays for all residents’ water use at Villagio – all 200 units – so in addition to environmental stewardship, the investment in water-smart appliances greatly benefits the organization financially.
​
Also on display in the bathroom is the exhaust fan, which is programmed as a slow start to save energy. “The WhisperGreen Select Line of fans are built using DC motor technology. The DC motor is 30% - 70% more energy efficient than the minimum ENERGY STAR requirements.”

After appreciating the exhaust fan as only a group of building professionals can, the tour progresses into the hall to feature the ENERGY STAR-certified washer and dryer unit.

“Even though we pay for their water use, each tenant is responsible for their other utilities,” says Stout. “It’s estimated that this efficient washer and dryer system saves them 20% on their electric bill over a non-certified washer, which for our residents is critical in keeping things affordable.”

Stout also highlighted that having access to an in-home dishwasher and clothes washer helps improve the quality of life for residents, which, in addition to affordability, is paramount to MHA’s vision.

Missoula Housing Authority owns and manages 15 properties and 158 apartments, duplexes, and single‑family homes throughout Missoula. Many of their larger multifamily buildings include climate-smart features that help families reduce costs and lessen environmental impact. MHA’s in‑house construction and development arm, Bristlecone Development, is committed to sustainable, resident‑focused building practices and carries these values through every project.

“Building efficiently not only keeps our properties affordable, it improves health and comfort for our residents” says Hauser. “And it’s a good investment.”

Each of the 200 apartments in the Villagio (which, fun side note, can all be converted into ADA-accessible units if needed) were independently blower-door tested in the middle and at the end of construction to ensure a tight building envelope. This tight construction, coupled with high-efficiency building materials and windows, leads to more efficient heating and lower utility bills for residents. The intentional air ventilation and filtration throughout the complex helps protect indoor air quality during wildfire smoke season and winter inversions. And each unit has a high-efficiency air conditioning unit, which is an addition above what’s required by Montana code, to help residents stay safer during increasingly hotter summers.

The energy savings yielded by installing ultra-efficient electric appliances not only benefits MHA and their clients, it also supports local utilities by curbing grid demand. This energy reduction is enough of a benefit that utilities often offer incentives for installing ENERGY STAR appliances. For the Villagio, MHA was able to access $35,000 in appliance rebates which, while small in comparison to the cost of the complex, is still a significant boon for the building’s maintenance and operations budget.

Stout, Hauser and the team at MHA are committed to sustainability and affordability and that commitment also extends outside of the home. The authority is advocating for increased bus service to the apartments, offers locked bike storage in the parking garage, and is supporting area beautification, including a park and playground going in this summer to support the Villagio’s youngest residents. (The complex boasts the highest concentration of kids out of any MHA property.)

The Villagio is a powerful demonstration of how communities can solve for multiple challenges – affordable housing, climate change, sustainability – in an interconnected way that actually improves health, comfort and quality of life for all.

Visit the Missoula Housing Authority's website to learn more about the organization and its properties.