At Hill-Ray Plaza, the view from the dining room has always been a selling point for seniors looking for a place to call home. The expansive views looking over Colfax are lovely.
But for years, residents kept the shades drawn, not for privacy, but to block out drafts from aging windows. “You could feel the cold rolling off them from three feet away,” said Executive Director Mike Neves. “We couldn’t even set tables close to the windows.”
Hill-Ray Plaza, a nonprofit senior apartment complex, has been a fixture in Colfax for more than four decades. It’s the only place in town where older adults can find affordable housing designed for their needs, no medical care, just meals, community and a chance to stay close to family.
When the time came to replace the original, now-drafty windows, the cost was out of reach. “It was in our long-range plan, but we couldn’t afford it,” Mike said. That changed when Avista’s Named Community Investment Fund awarded a grant, covering the upgrade.
The new windows did more than improve insulation. Residents now gather in rooms that were once avoided in winter, drawn by natural light and a clear view of farmland. “We’re seeing more events, more people decorating, and a new sense of pride,” Mike said. Card games have moved from cramped side rooms to the main event space. “It’s caught their attention and given them a spark of excitement.”
Energy savings have followed. “Overall, we’re seeing 7–8% savings compared to last year,” Mike said. “That means we can put more money into food, activities, and other building needs for the residents.”
Avista’s NCIF grant process, Mike said, was straightforward and supportive. “We expected something big and corporate, but it was the opposite. The team was friendly, responsive and genuinely excited for us.”
NCIF is a competitive grant program that provides funding support to clean energy projects, programs, and initiatives that directly benefit Washington electric customers who are members of Named Communities. Named Communities are populations that are most often disproportionately and negatively impacted by environmental change, due to unemployment, housing and food insecurity, income inequality, and other factors.
The competitive grant program is part of Avista’s commitment to Washington’s Clean Energy Transformation Act, as we strive to make clean energy more equitable and accessible for Washington customers.
NCIF applications are accepted on a rolling basis until all funding has been awarded.