North Alabama Secures Millions in Grants for Home Weatherization Initiatives

North Alabama Secures Millions in Grants for Home Weatherization Initiatives

In a bid to aid low-income and elderly Alabama residents in lowering their energy costs, Gov. Kay Ivey has sanctioned a total of $8.5 million in grants. This significant grant amount is aimed at weatherizing homes, thereby bolstering the energy efficiency and safety of houses across the state.

The initiative is part of Alabama’s Weatherization Assistance Program, designed to prioritize individuals with disabilities, senior citizens, and low-income families with children. The program’s objective is to provide funds that would contribute to enhancing the energy efficiency of eligible homes.

“During the sweltering Alabama summer months, many residents, particularly the elderly, those with disabilities, and low-income families on fixed incomes, face difficulties in keeping up with their utility bills in order to keep their homes cool and comfortable,” Gov. Ivey noted. She emphasized that the grants would facilitate improvements to homes that could result in lower energy bills for qualifying applicants.

The process to receive weatherization assistance commences with an energy audit of each home that qualifies. The audit is to ascertain the most cost-effective measures to improve energy efficiency. These improvements often encompass the installation of additional insulation in the attic, walls, and floor, air leak sealing around windows and doors, air conditioning and heating unit repair or tune-ups, and the replacement of standard light bulbs with high-efficiency counterparts. Alongside lowering energy bills, these enhancements can also mitigate risks of fire and other safety hazards.

The recently awarded grants are distributed to 13 community agencies scattered throughout the state. These agencies, responsible for managing the program at the local level, receive applications from individuals seeking assistance. This new grant allocation supplements the $4.4 million in Weatherization grants previously awarded earlier in the year.

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) is overseeing the administration of these grants, with funds provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Energy.

“ADECA stands with Gov. Ivey in extending our support to those in dire need through the Weatherization Assistance Program,” expressed ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell. “Our partnership with these community agencies enables us to provide numerous underserved residents with help to ready their homes for the most torrid part of the year, both now and in the future.”

The recipient agencies are spread across multiple counties in Alabama, each receiving varied amounts of funding. These agencies, alongside the respective grant funding and counties served, are as follows: Central Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission, Community Action Committee Inc. of Chambers-Tallapoosa-Coosa, Alabama Council on Human Relations Inc., Community Action Partnership of Huntsville-Madison and Limestone Counties Inc., Mobile Community Action Inc., Montgomery County Commission, Community Action Partnership of North Alabama Inc., Community Action Agency of Northeast Alabama Inc., Community Action Agency of Northwest Alabama Inc., Organized Community Action Program Inc., Community Action Agency of South Alabama, Community Action Agency of Talladega, Clay, Randolph, Calhoun, and Cleburne, and Community Service Programs of West Alabama Inc.

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