energy$avers Blocks Program
Using the HCBA’s Green Bungalow Blocks as a model, the new energy$avers Blocks program will work with dedicated residents, community organizations and block clubs to bring the financial incentives of the energy$avers program, an expansion of the HCBA’s original Energy Savers 1 and Energy Savers 2 Grants, to more owners of Historic Chicago Bungalows.
Under the expanded Bungalow energy$avers Blocks Program, a group of homeowners can apply for grants to cover most of their energy-efficiency needs including insulation, new heating systems, as well as hot water heaters, the replacement of doors and windows, and installation of water-saving devices such as low flow faucets and shower heads, and dual flush toilets.
West Chatham Block - 7900 S LaSalle Street 
Organized by the 79th and LaSalle Block Club and dedicated residents, the first energy$avers Block features eight participating bungalows to date.
“I have learned that community development is an ongoing and ever evolving process. I have learned that a neighborhood is more than the buildings, but also the people inside and outside of the community,” said West Chatham Chicago Bungalow owner and community organizer Karen Williams. “I feel it is important to remember that you live in your home but you thrive in your community.”
Joining the HCBA on the 7900 Block of South LaSalle Street were volunteers from The Lowe’s Heroes program to provide five homes on the block with gardening tips, design blueprints, products and native plants to beautify their home.
As a final honor for the neighborhood, the 79th and LaSalle Block Club is working directly with the HCBA, neighborhood residents and more to finalize an application for designation on the National Register of Historic Places. Attaining placement on the National Register of Historic Places is a three step process that includes city, state and national review – steps through which every applicant must pass, with the help of the HCBA. The first neighborhoods to be designatedwere the Schorsch Irving Park Garden District, the South Park Manor District, and the Wrightwood Boulevard District as well as Rogers Park Manor, Falconer and North Mayfair Districts.
Chicago Lawn - In Progress
Building on the success of the first energy$avers Block in the West Chatham neighborhood, the Historic Chicago Bungalow Association is partnering with 16th Ward Alderman JoAnn Thompson to bring grants of up to $6,000 for energy-efficiency upgrades to dozens of bungalow owners in Chicago Lawn. The HCBA and Alderman Thompson are working to target a series of blocks filled with Chicago Bungalows and residents dedicated to housing preservation and energy-efficiency.
