Governor Rendell: Federal Weatherization Funds to be Released Nov. 2; Funds Will Help Struggling Families, Put People to Work

Release Date: Oct 29, 2009  |  Author: Steve Weitzman, DCED; 717-783-1132; Barry Ciccocioppo, Governor's Office; 717-783-1116

---

Harrisburg – Governor Edward G. Rendell announced today that the first installment of $123 million in federal Recovery funds for weatherization will begin to be released Nov. 2, part of $253 million that the state will use for this purpose.

The Governor said the funding represents an unprecedented level of investment that will help to create new, “green” jobs, save money for struggling families, and stimulate local economic activity as weatherization agencies buy required material, vehicles and equipment.

“The weatherization program stimulates the economy in several ways,” Governor Rendell said. “It saves money on energy bills for people who need it the most, and keeps those dollars circulating in local communities because families will be able to spend more on food, clothing and other necessities. It also will create new jobs in the growing ‘green’ economic development sector.”

Pennsylvania’s allocation of $253 million for weatherization from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is the fourth largest in the nation; only New York, Texas and Ohio received more. The money will be paid over three years.

The first of the Recovery Act funds to the state’s 43 weatherization agencies, $123 million, will be disbursed Monday. Payments to agencies are expected to be completed by mid-November. 

Pennsylvania will allocate the federal grant over three years, through March 2012, expending at least 50 percent of the Recovery allocation by Sept. 30, 2010. At least 80 percent will be allocated by the end of the 2010-11 fiscal year.

Recovery Act weatherization rules increase income-eligibility to 200 percent of the poverty level—$44,100 for a family of four—and the dollar amount for work per household, to $6,500, up from $2,500.

The commonwealth’s plan calls for weatherizing more than 29,000 units. By contrast, a little more than 5,000 were weatherized last year under the 30-year-old Weatherization Assistance Program. That program has served more than 475,000 low-income households and more than 1.18 million residents.

The Governor proclaimed Oct. 30 as Weatherization Day in Pennsylvania to align with National Weatherization Day. Every household in Pennsylvania can take simple and effective steps to conserve energy, even if they do not participate in the weatherization program, Governor Rendell said.

A portion of the weatherization funds will also go towards increasing the number of centers to train and certify weatherization workers, from one to seven. The Department of Labor and Industry announced those sites on Oct. 28.

The commonwealth is establishing a strong oversight, monitoring and reporting program to ensure Pennsylvania’s transparency and accountability with the unprecedented infusion of funds, Governor Rendell said.

“The federal Recovery program – not just weatherization, but all Recovery programs – calls for funds to be expended quickly, but, at the same time, we are committed to doing it correctly,” Governor Rendell said.

For more information about Pennsylvania’s weatherization program efforts, visit www.newpa.com, keyword: weatherization.

For more information about American Recovery and Reinvestment Act initiatives in Pennsylvania, visit www.recovery.pa.gov.

Editors note: A list of the state’s weatherization agencies, the counties they serve, and their three-year federal Recovery Act weatherization allocation follows:

Action Housing Inc. (Allegheny, Washington & Greene) $15,270,788

Armstrong County Community Action Agency $2,684,080

Berks Community Action Program $4,615,804

Blair County Community Action Program $3,477,104

Bucks County Opportunity Council Inc. $4,473,467

Carbon County Action Committee for Human Services $2,338,403

Center for Community Action (Bedford, Fulton) $2,663,745

Central PA Community Action Program Inc. (Centre & Clearfield) $4,717,474

City of New Castle Home Weatherization Program (Lawrence) $3,029,757

Commission of Economic Opportunity of Luzerne County $6,588,197

Community Action Agency of Delaware County $5,307,158

Community Action Committee of Lehigh Valley Inc. $6,323,855

Community Action Partnership of Cambria County $4,107,456

Community Action Partnership of Mercer County $4,737,808

Community Action, Inc. (Jefferson, Clarion) $2,562,077

Dauphin County Board of Commissioners $4,107,456

Energy Coordinating Agency (Philadelphia) $13,949,082

Erie County Housing Authority $3,294,098

Greater Erie Community Action Committee $3,334,765

HDC 3 (Lancaster, Lebanon, Chester) $8,784,262

Housing Authority of the County of Beaver $3,517,771

Indiana County Community Action Program Inc. $2,989,089

Lycoming/Clinton Counties Commission for Community Action $3,741,446

Monroe County Redevelopment Authority $2,968,753

Montgomery County Community Action   Development Commission $5,083,485

Northern Tier Community Action  Corporation (Cameron, Elk, Potter & McKean) $3,355,100

Northumberland County Weatherization $3,029,757

Northwest PA Weatherization Inc. (Crawford) $3,192,429

Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency $22,318,832

Philadelphia Housing Development  Corporation (Philadelphia) $15,921,477

Redevelopment Authority of the County of Fayette $4,046,454

Schuylkill County Community Action $3,395,768

Scranton/Lackawanna Human Development Agency $4,920,813

SEDA-Council of Governments (Juniata, Mifflin,  Snyder, Union, Columbia, Montour & Perry) $5,185,154

South Central Community Action Programs Inc.  (Adams, Franklin, Cumberland) $4,941,148

Steel Valley Opportunities Industrialization  Center (Allegheny) $4,981,815

Tableland Services Inc. (Somerset) $2,846,751

The TREHAB Center (Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga & Wyoming) $4,351,463

Warren/Forest Economic Opportunity Council $3,334,765

Wayne County Redevelopment Authority $3,151,761

Weatherization Inc. (Huntingdon) $2,257,067

Westmoreland County Housing Authority $5,449,496

York County Board of Commissioners $4,310,795  

Media contacts: Steve Weitzman, DCED; 717-783-1132Barry Ciccocioppo, Governor’s Office; 717-783-1116

###