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

Posted on: Thursday, 29 October 2009, 16:28 CDT

HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --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; 717-783-1132

Barry Ciccocioppo, Governor's Office; 717-783-1116

SOURCE Pennsylvania Office of the Governor

Source: PR Newswire

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