Community Action's Housing Services has help for seniors

Carl E. Feather

Aug. 14, 2008 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- High home energy costs are inflicting misery at all levels, but the pain is most intense for the elderly, disabled and young families with children.

The Housing Services Division of Community Action can't negotiate lower electric or gas rates, but it can help qualifying property owners and some renters reduce their home energy consumption.

The Home Weatherization Assistance Program (HWAP) came into being after the nation's last big energy crunch, the Arab oil embargo in 1973. The Department of Energy and Department of Health and Human Services fund the program. The federal money is funneled through the Ohio Department of Development to Community Action, which carries out the program in Ashtabula, Lake and Geauga counties.

The Department of Energy is the primary funding source; Ohio supplements the funds with 15 percent of funds the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services distributes to the state for the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP).

Additional sources of funding include Housewarming, a Dominion (NYSE:D PRA) (NYSE:D) East Ohio assistance program, and the similar outreach from First Energy, Community Connections. United Way, Area Agency on Aging and Emergency Home Repair also kick in funding.

Carmen Kuula, division director, says there are instances where HWAP can't insulate a house until a roof is repaired or electrical problem fixed. HWAP does not provide funding for these kinds of improvements, but money from the other programs can be used to address those safety issues before weatherization commences.

"One of the big things our program does is leverage dollars and combine money to get the maximum benefit for our customers," Kuula says.

For example, a United Way fund is used to address safety issues; Area Agency on Aging money can be used for accessibility issues, but not ramps -- a huge need for which there's little funding available.

Because of the high demand for these services, it can be six months to a year from the date of application before workers actually tackle the job. The division assigns priority points to every request to make sure the most needy situations are addressed in a timely manner.

Some of the applications come from homeowners who learn about the program through their HEAP application. "Most of it is because their heat bills are very high and they are still uncomfortable," she says.

To be eligible, an applicant must be a homeowner with an income that is within 150 percent of the federal poverty guideline or receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI). With their landlord's approval and participation, some renters can also get weatherization assistance.

Priority points are assigned to the case based upon a number of factors. An energy audit is conducted in the home by a HWAP staff member, who does an in-depth examination of energy leaks and wastes, from drafts around the windows to the use of inefficient light bulbs. During the audit, the consumers get lots of tips on how to reduce their energy and water consumption, from using low-flow shower heads to cleaning out the dust around their refrigerator coils.

Once the energy-wasters are identified, an estimator comes to the house to determine the cost of insulating and performing other energy-saving improvements to the home. Kuula says the agency seeks a savings-to-investment ratio of at least 1:1 for any investments it makes in a property. On average, homeowners will save about $350 per year on their heat bills if the house is weatherized.

The work almost always is done by a Community Action weatherization crew of three workers. The agency owns the trucks and equipment needed to get the job done. When work is beyond the agency's capabilities, contractors are asked to bid on the job.

The average job in fiscal year 2008 cost the agency $3,900. The agency performed 186 of these jobs in Geauga, Lake and Ashtabula counties.

"Everyone gets the same amount of service, but it is really based on what that situation is for that home," Kuula says.

Average cost of job amounts in the other programs ranged from $450 for the United Way-funded grant to $5,000 for the Emergency Home Repair Program.

Kuula says the need far outpaces the supply of funds. One of the reasons is that Ashtabula County has a large stock of aged housing: 67.5 percent of the homes were built before 1970, in an era when home heating fuels were cheap and little attention was given to insulation.

The other factor is the large number of low-income homeowners and renters. Up to 31 percent of Ashtabula County's population falls within those low-income guidelines.

In addition to the home weatherization program, this division also works with the Community Services Division on the New Hope program. It is also a player in a the Save Our Homes Task Force for the county but receives no funding to that end.

For more information on the weatherization program, call 1-800-252-5249 or 998-4996.

Newstex ID: KRTB-0322-27448847