By Tom Wilmoth
A program to help area residents
weatherize their homes has received a financial boost from the $800 billion
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed earlier this year. Now local
officials are trying to let residents know they might be eligible for help.
Normally
classified as a low-income program, the weatherization initiative, with the
help of the stimulus funding, is now being made available to more
residents.
In the city of
Bedford, the Weatherization Assistance Program is being administered
through the Lynchburg Community Action Group, Inc., while the Central
Virginia Area Agency for Aging administers the program in Bedford County.
City residents have the opportunity to tap into some $600,000 of funds set aside
for weatherization projects. It provides labor and materials to reduce
heating and cooling costs for individuals and families, seeking to promote
health and safety.
“It’s a great
program for people to take advantage of if they’re eligible,” stated
Bedford City Manager Charles Kolakowski. “We encourage people to do
it. It’s not only saving the environment, but it’s also saving money
for people. We all know how important that is.”
It can help
with:
• sealing air
leaks with insulation, caulking and weather-stripping;
• repairing
leaky heating duct systems;
• repairing or
replacing inefficient or unsafe heating systems; and
• installing
carbon monoxide and smoke detectors.
“It’s really
exciting news,” stated Thomas Daniel, vice president and housing director,
for the Lynchburg Community Action Group.
Daniel said the
goal of the additional funding from the federal government is to help
decrease this nation’s dependence on foreign oil. His organization covers
the city of Bedford, city of Lynchburg and Campbell County. He said the
hope is to help area families conserve energy and cut down on expenses for
fuel and utilities.
“We’re able to
do a lot more under the stimulus,” he said, adding that funding is supposed
to be made available through 2012. He said the Weatherization Assistance
Program is seeking to help as many families as possible.
Lynchburg
Community Action Group has its own crews and weatherization professionals
to work on the projects. He said income is the key factor in eligibility,
but those guidelines have been broadened to include more families. Roughly
the guidelines would allow those within 75 percent of the Virginia’s median
income to qualify. For a single person that would start at a gross income
the previous year of $30,581and for a family of four could qualify if their
gross income last year was $58,810. That’s up from $15,600 for a single
unit and $31,800 for a family of four.
If someone
qualifies financially, then a weatherization assessment would be completed
to determine what, if any, work could be done.
He said all
systems are looked at as part of the program.
“Right now
we’re trying to get the word out to as many people as we can,” he said.
The city is
sending out a notice of the program through its utility bill and Daniel
said response, up to this point, has been less than they have hoped.
“It’s a
year-round program,” Daniel said, adding that projects are prioritized
based on a number of factors, including the elderly, families with
children, high energy users and the handicapped. The program works in
partnership with the Department of Social Services.
“All of us now
need to be a part of the conservation effort,” he said. ”If we all can
become a little more green, it’s good for the country. ...It’s good for our
locality, it’s good for the world.”
He also said
it’s good for families’ budgets. Estimated savings through the program for
a family is $300. Daniel said the weatherization projects provide
long-lasting improvements and ultimately increase the value of the
property. “It increases marketability,” he said.
Daniel said the
program can cover homeowners or rental properties. While the budget has
been in the $200,000 range traditionally, this year’s budget is $649,136.
Bedford County residents have the opportunity to tap into $829,519 that is
being made available for home weatherization through the stimulus funding.
Those represent half of the stimulus funds that might be made available for
the program. Virginia will be evaluated on its use of the initial funding
to see if it qualifies for the second half of funds for the program.
“The Department
of Energy wants to see that states meet certain goals,” Daniel said.
He said
Lynchburg Community Action Group has been hiring additional workers in
addition to the long-term employees that have been with the program.
“We have a
really great network of weatherization providers,” he said.
CVAAA works
with Bedford, Amherst and Appomattox counties. Melissa Commins, director of
weatherization services for CVAAA said the additional funding for the
program is part of a three-year package.
She said CVAAA
has been getting referrals through churches, community groups, mass
mailings and social services. She said CVAAA has seen a 10-fold increase in
applications. “It hasn’t been difficult for people to get the word out,”
she said. “We’re overwhelmed with applications.”
Commins said,
on average, about $6,500 is available to spend per unit. “We have to meet
weatherization standards,” she said. “It’s designed to make their home more
energy efficient. That would free up disposable income for other
essentials.”
City of Bedford
residents should call 434-401-9308 or 434-401-9306 for more
information while Bedford County residents should call 540-385-9070.
