By Anita Miller
San Marcos — Local social service authorities say the number of households that will receive weatherization assistance this year and next is about to skyrocket because of increased federal funding.
According to Congressman Lloyd Doggett's office, Community Action Agency (CAA) which administers funding for nine Central Texas counties, has a budget of $3.7 million for the two-year budget cycle that started April 1, compared to $227,389 in 2008.
That will allow CAA to hire contractors to add insulation, seal leaks and modernize air conditioning equipment for 30 to 50 homes each month, compared to 63 weatherized last year.
“With these recovery funds, we will be able to weatherize over 300 more homes this year than last year," said Rhoda Gersch, CAA's executive director.
"Not only will the households conserve energy, giving the family more disposable income, but, the contractor completing the work will employ 18 more persons who were in danger of or had been laid off."
Gersch added that a second contractor might even be needed.
The funds are solely for economically disadvantaged households, for example, a family of four with an income of less than $44,000 or an individual with an income of less than $21,000 who have not previously received weatherization aid.
Doggett's office said there is $2.6 million in weatherization assistance for San Marcos and Hays County residents.
A separate grant, $498,100 from the the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for investments in energy efficiency, is going to the city of San Marcos under the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program.
Doggett's office said those funds will be for "energy audits and energy efficiency retrofits in residential and commercial buildings, the development and implementation of advanced building codes and inspections, and the creation of financial incentive programs for energy efficiency improvements."
Other activities eligible for use of grant funds include "transportation programs that conserve energy, projects to reduce and capture methane and other greenhouse gas emissions from landfills, renewable energy installations on government buildings, energy efficient traffic signals and street lights, deployment of Combined Heat and Power and district heating and cooling systems, and others."
The funding is important to the city, Council Member Chris Jones said.
“One of the issues we discuss on the Council is ensuring homes are affordable so our residents can stay in them. These additional federal monies will provide funding for needed energy efficiency upgrades in homes and offices, which will result in lower electric, gas and water bills for our neighbors.”
“This recovery money means more jobs and lower energy bills,” Doggett said. “These funds not only help improve the quality of life for our local families, but are another source of work in a tightening economy. The additional federal funding means that workers in Central Texas can weatherize nearly 10 times as many homes as they were able to last year.”
