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Weatherization program offers savings
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A few new storm doors would be a long overdue and welcome renovation to the Greenlawn home of Hedwig Wells, 90. "About ten years ago they put in three new windows and they replaced the storm doors," she said. "In the winter time, they're not doing much good, being that they're warped."
People like Wells are just who Councilman Stuart Besen had in mind when he led the creation of a program to provide funds for residents with limited incomes to make their homes more energy-efficient.
The new initiative is a partnership between the town's Community Development Agency, which makes home improvements and emergency repairs for eligible homeowners, and Long Island's Community Development Corporation, which helps bicounty homeowners through its home weatherization program, Besen said.
Besen predicts that because they live on lower fixed incomes, seniors would probably benefit the most from the new funding source, which is targeted to town residents whose incomes range from $23,556 for an individual or $52,560 for a family of five.
"Even though it's not only for seniors, we suspect it will be a majority of seniors taking advantage of this program …" Besen said. "A lot of seniors have homes that tend to be a little older and don't necessarily have the money to weatherize them. Under this program they would qualify because their income levels would qualify."
There is nearly $1 million available for the program, CDA's director, Doug Aloise, said. His agency would augment the CDC's $300,000 allotment with $350,000 from its own budget, plus an additional $275,000 grant from the New York State Housing Trust.
"The need is so great. I'm always going after sources of funding," Aloise said, referring to the leveraged state funds
To date about 35 people have already requested applications for the funding, which became available June 9, Aloise said.
Once a house is brought up to code via the CDA, inspectors will then look to see if the home could use weatherizing improvements, Besen said.
Long Island's Community Development Corporation will contribute on average $6,000 per job to the average $40,000 repair from the town's CDA home improvement program.
"For example, a boiler is 30 years ago and it's really energy deficient. … There are lots of leaks in the house. … Through Community Development Corporation and their state money, they're giving us up to $300,000 to weatherize," Besen said. "So potentially, somebody can be using monies from two separate programs."
This is the first time CDC, a nonprofit that assists families and small businesses with services that support housing and economic development, has done anything like this with any municipality, Besen said.
Marianne Garvin, president of the Community Development Corporation of Long Island, said the pilot program helps extend her organization's mission: to help assist homeowners in the region.
"Huntington took the initiative. … They said they know there's weatherization money," Garvin said. "If other municipalities would like to do something like this, we are open for it."
The combined town and CDC funding sources represent a two-fold benefit for the homeowner, Garvin said.
"One, they get the work done all at once, so it's a coordinated effort between the rehab and the energy work. And two, because of the leveraging, they could get a little more work done."
Anyone interested in participating in the program should call Huntington's Community Development Agency office at 351-2881 or email weatherization@town.huntington.ny.us.
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