Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded grants totaling $2.9 million to assist low-income and elderly Alabama residents with weatherizing their homes to lower energy costs.
The grants support Alabama’s Weatherization Assistance Program which provides funds to improve the energy efficiency and safety of qualifying homes. Priority is given to people with disabilities, the elderly and low-income households with children.
“There are many Alabama residents on fixed incomes who may struggle to pay higher utility bills, especially in the hot summer months,” Gov. Ivey said. “These grants are assisting in lowering the energy bills for many of them by updating their homes to keep them cooler during the summer and warmer during the winter.”
An energy audit is conducted of each home that qualifies for weatherization assistance to determine the most cost-efficient measures. Common improvements include installing extra insulation in the attic, walls and floor; sealing air leaks around doors and windows; repairs or tune-ups for air conditioning and heating units; and replacing incandescent light bulbs with high-efficiency bulbs. In addition to lowering energy bills, the improvements can reduce the risk of fire and other hazards.
Gov. Ivey awarded the grants to 13 community agencies across the state that manage the program at the local level and receive applications from individuals who wish to be considered for assistance.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grants from funds made available by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“ADECA stands with Gov. Ivey in helping those who need it most by utilizing the Weatherization Assistance Program,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “The partnerships with these community agencies ensure that many underserved residents receive improvements to their homes which in turn lowers high energy bills, particularly in the hot summer months.”
Below is a list of each grant, the recipient agency, counties served and the agency telephone number:
- $262,554 to Central Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission(Autauga, Chilton, Dallas, Elmore, Macon, Perry, Russell and Shelby) 334-262-4300
- $53,077 to Community Action Committee Inc. of Chambers-Tallapoosa-Coosa (Chambers, Coosa and Tallapoosa) 256-825-4287
- $117,292 to Alabama Council on Human Relations Inc. (Lee) 334-821-8336
- $200,424 to Community Action Partnership of Huntsville-Madison and Limestone Counties Inc. (Madison and Limestone) 256-851-9800
- $311,169 to Mobile Community Action Inc. (Choctaw, Mobile and Washington) 251-457-5700
- $178,804 to Montgomery County Commission(Montgomery) 334-832-1210
- $208,922 to Community Action Partnership of North Alabama Inc. (Cullman, Lawrence, Marion, Morgan, Walker and Winston) 256-355-7843
- $657,473 to Community Action Agency of Northeast Alabama Inc. (Blount, Cherokee, DeKalb, Etowah, Jackson, Jefferson, Marshall and St. Clair) 256-638-4430
- $104,914 to Community Action Agency of Northwest Alabama Inc. (Colbert, Franklin and Lauderdale) 256-766-4330
- $272,850 to Organized Community Action Program Inc. (Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Coffee, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Lowndes and Pike) 334-566-1712
- $180,253 to Community Action Agency of South Alabama(Baldwin, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Marengo, Monroe and Wilcox) 251-626-2646
- $149,036 to Community Action Agency of Talladega, Clay, Randolph, Calhoun and Cleburne (Calhoun, Clay, Cleburne, Randolph and Talladega) 256-362-6611
- $203,232 to Community Service Programs of West Alabama Inc.(Bibb, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Lamar, Pickens, Sumter and Tuscaloosa) 205-752-5429
