Flashlight in hand, Abasi Umoh climbs a step ladder inside a cramped closet of a Northeast Portland home built more than 60 years ago.

Waist deep in the attic crawlspace, Umoh is standing at the front lines of Portland’s well-funded push to reduce energy consumption, carbon emissions and the bills paid by low-income residents.

Umoh, 27, is both a provider and beneficiary of that push. They are a newly minted in-home auditor for the Community Energy Project, a local nonprofit that received a $10 million grant last year to weatherize and retrofit 250 homes during the next five years by installing insulation, air sealing, heat pumps and other energy saving measures.

A key goal for the program is helping low-income Portlanders and people of color stay in homes and neighborhoods where residents face the threat of displacement from gentrification, high energy costs or an expensive backlog of needed repairs.

Umoh considers the work tangible and vital: Addressing the climate crisis in the midst of a housing crisis, and making sure vulnerable communities and individuals aren’t left behind. Fixing up old homes not only improves homeowners’ stability but also can aid in their comfort and health.