A San Diego based nonprofit was mentioned in a speech Friday morning by President Barack Obama. He was honoring efforts to put solar arrays on the nation's affordable housing complexes.
Obama said Community HousingWorks, which creates affordable housing in San Diego County, is on the vanguard of installing solar power in the multi-unit complexes it develops.
The president recognized the nonprofit's push as a way to help reach the administration's goal of putting 100 megawatts of solar power in public housing. Anne Wilson, a senior vice president at Community Housing Works, said solar power keeps housing affordable by lowering utility costs.
"When people are spending a more reasonable amount on their rent and their utilities, they have more money to spend at your local store," Wilson said. "It broadens the money that goes out into the economy."
Community HousingWorks partners with Everyday Energy to install solar power. So far, enough solar panels have been installed to generate a megawatt of electricity on some 1,700 homes. The nonprofit has plans to add another 2 1/2 megawatts as it converts existing complexes and develops new ones.
