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DCSEU, Victory Housing, and Partners Celebrate Completion of Major Energy Retrofit at Victory Square Senior Apartments
Washington, D.C. – The DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU), alongside Victory Housing, District leaders, and community partners, today celebrated the completion of a transformative energy retrofit at Victory Square Senior Apartments in Ward 7. The project was completed through the District’s Affordable Housing Retrofit Accelerator (AHRA) program and demonstrates how clean energy investments can preserve affordable housing while reducing costs for residents.
Victory Square Senior Apartments, a four-story, 97-unit community serving residents aged 55 and older, underwent a comprehensive upgrade that modernized its energy systems and significantly improved building performance. The project, fully funded by DCSEU, is projected to deliver more than $1 million in lifetime cost savings while reducing carbon emissions by approximately 521,000 pounds of CO₂e annually, equal to electricity use of about 49 homes annually.
“This DCSEU initiative contributes critically to preserving this treasured community asset, ensuring that seniors at Victory Square will have a resilient place to call home for years to come,” said Leila Finucane, President & CEO of Victory Housing.
The retrofit included the installation of 97 high-efficiency packaged heat pumps and heat pump water heaters, upgrades to common area systems, improved lighting, and water-saving fixtures. These improvements are expected to reduce annual energy use by more than 373,000 kWh and generate approximately $81,000 in annual cost savings. Residents are projected to see average savings of approximately $650 per year on utility bills, strengthening household financial stability while improving comfort and reducing energy use.
"The Victory Square Senior Apartments retrofit is a powerful example of how the District’s climate, efficiency, and housing goals can come together in a single project," said Richard Jackson, Director of the DC Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE). "This work will deliver meaningful benefits for residents while driving an estimated 28% reduction in the building’s energy use. This project protects residents from rising utility costs, improves comfort and health, and showcases the value of investing in existing affordable housing stock rather than relying solely on new construction."
The project positions Victory Square Senior Apartments to exceed the District’s Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS). The property’s ENERGY STAR score is projected to rise from 53 to 93, far surpassing the District of Columbia’s median score of 66 and helping ensure long-term compliance. By investing approximately $13,400 per unit, the project underscores the cost-effectiveness of retrofitting existing affordable housing while keeping building residents in place compared with the significantly higher costs of new construction, which can exceed $1 million per unit in the District of Columbia.
“The DCSEU is proud to support improvements at Victory Housing and in many other properties across the District,” said Ben Burdick, Managing Director of the DCSEU. “Sustainability is not only about making a positive impact on the environment, it’s also about empowering DC residents and businesses to continue to live and work here affordably and comfortably, and this project is a great example of that.”
The celebration brought together District officials, project partners including Residential ONE, HBS Solutions, Electrify DC, and the District Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE), as well as residents, who shared firsthand perspectives on the upgrades and their impact.
Victory Square Senior Apartments now stands as a model for how targeted investments in energy efficiency can extend the life of affordable housing, reduce emissions, and improve quality of life for District residents.
About the Affordable Housing Retrofit Accelerator (AHRA)
Launched in 2021 in partnership with the DCSEU, District Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) and the DC Green Bank — AHRA is the nation’s first of its kind. The multi-year program helps owners and managers of qualifying buildings improve health and comfort, achieve lower utility bills for both owners and residents, cut emissions, meet the District’s BEPS, decarbonize efficiently, and preserve the affordable housing stock of the District. To date, AHRA has delivered over $15.5 million in incentives for energy audits, load studies, and energy efficiency projects while helping customers avoid 26,000 metric tons of lifetime greenhouse gas emissions and provided over $7.3 million in lifetime energy cost savings.
About Victory Housing
Victory Housing was founded in 1979, inspired by Catholic social teachings and serving as the nonprofit housing development arm of the Archdiocese of Washington. For over 45 years, Victory Housing has provided licensed assisted living for seniors needing care and services and affordable housing to low- and moderate-income independent seniors and families. Today, Victory Housing continues to strengthen and expand on this mission. Victory Housing owns, operates and oversees 36 communities providing over 2,700 units of rental housing.
About the DCSEU
The DCSEU helps DC residents and businesses use less energy and save money. Since 2011, the DCSEU has delivered financial incentives, technical assistance, and information to tens of thousands of District residents and businesses, helping to generate more than $2.2 billion in lifetime energy cost savings. Its work is building a brighter economic, environmental, and energy future for the District of Columbia.
About the DOEE
DOEE is the leading authority on energy and environmental issues affecting the District of Columbia. DOEE's mission is to improve the quality of life for the residents and natural inhabitants of the nation’s capital by protecting and restoring the environment, conserving our natural resources, mitigating pollution, increasing access to clean and renewable energy, and educating the public on ways to secure a sustainable future. The agency’s core responsibilities include, but are not limited to, enforcing environmental regulations; monitoring and assessing environmental risks; developing energy and environmental policies; issuing permits; and providing residents and local businesses with funding, technical assistance, and information on initiatives designed to ensure a more resilient and sustainable city.