Topeka — Kansas is about to get caulked big time.
Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the state will receive $56 million over the next three years for a weatherization program aimed at low-income residents.
Last year, the program received about $2.7 million.
“The expectation is that we will probably do 10 times the number of homes in the course of a three-year period,” said Al Dorsey, the director of housing and supportive services for the Kansas Housing Resources Corp., a quasi-public entity that coordinates the program.
The assistance program provides grants to low-income Kansans to have their residences weatherized, which usually involves caulking, adding insulation and, occasionally, replacing furnaces.
Grantees funded to do this work cannot spend more than an average of $3,200 per residence. Last year, approximately 1,850 residences statewide were weatherized.
Dorsey said the agency has identified approximately 17,500 more residences, including multi-family structures, that may be eligible.
He said the program is a win-win-win because it increases energy efficiency, reduces the utility bills for low-income Kansans and produces jobs.
The surge of federal money will mean hiring more people to do the weatherization, he said.
“We need more contractors,” he said. “We’re in the process of putting information on our Web site to try to bring in more contractors to do this work,” he said. “They will be pretty busy for three years,” Dorsey added.
Kansas is set to receive approximately $1.8 billion in federal stimulus funding. And while the $56 million headed for weatherization is not the largest chunk, it probably represents the largest percentage increase for a specific program.
And Kansas Corporation Commissioner Joe Harkins said there also will be federal stimulus funds available to provide loans to increase energy efficiency in industries and large and small commercial buildings.
“When we get this all put together, we will have common-sense, effective, proven interventions for every type of utility customer in the state,” Harkins said.
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