Home weatherization program gets huge boost
Ready or not, states are getting a tenfold boost in federal money to weatherize drafty homes, an increase so huge it has raised fears of waste and fraud and set off a scramble to find workers and houses for them to repair.
An obscure program that installs insulation and makes houses more energy-efficient is distributing $4.7 billion in stimulus funds — dwarfing the $447 million originally planned by Congress this year and the $227 million spent in 2008.
That is enough to weatherize 1 million houses, instead of the 140,000 normally done each year.
President Barack Obama said pouring money into the program would lower utility bills for cash-strapped families, provide jobs for construction workers idled by the housing slump and make the nation more energy-efficient.
"You’re getting a three-fer," Obama said. "That’s exactly the kind of program we should be funding."
But some worry states won’t be able to keep track of the money.
Leslie Paige, spokeswoman for the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste, said the program was open to fraud because of the way oversight was divided. The federal government passes the money to states, then states pass it to community action agencies and the agencies pass it to contractors who work with customers.
Energy Department spokeswoman Christina Kielich defended the program, saying the federal government monitored state operations and did a thorough review of the local organizations at least every two years healthinsurance.
In addition, states are getting their money in increments and must demonstrate quality control to get more.
The program helps low-income families take steps to reduce their home-energy expenses, from caulking leaky windows to replacing heating and cooling systems. The Energy Department says 6.2 million households have benefited since the program began in 1976, saving the average household about $350 a year on energy bills.
In addition to receiving an infusion of stimulus money, the program was expanded to cover families making up to twice the federal poverty level, or $44,100 for a family of four. Also, the average amount that can be spent per house was more than doubled to $6,500.
States are hurrying to find qualified weatherization workers and caulk-ready homes. Wisconsin set up weatherization "boot camps" to train workers. West Virginia used to give new workers on-the-job training but is now looking to move to classrooms and online training.
Filed under: marketing by Pascal