Barbara Flynn Currie.

23 June 2010

On Tuesday, June 29 I will host an informational town hall meeting with Rep. Will Burns and Sen. Kwame Raoul. We want to spread the word about the Urban Weatherization Initiative Act, a $425 million federal program aimed at providing jobs, technical training and improved energy efficiency. The meeting is set for 6:00 p.m. at Kenwood Academy High School, 5015 S. Blackstone Ave.

Experts from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) will be on hand to explain the program and answer questions. The Act is intended to increase skills for the under/unemployed, to improve residential energy efficiency and thus lower home heating and cooling costs, and to create jobs.

The implementation of this initiative could be a boon to our local economy. It also offers a practical way for individuals to address global warming. Private, public and not-for-profit groups will team up with community-based organizations to train and employ people to provide weatherization services. Our neighbors will not only reap the benefits of training and employment, but will also be eligible for weatherization projects in their homes and apartments that will cost them little or nothing.

My hope is that the program will stimulate the economy by hiring local residents and using local suppliers and distributors of weatherization equipment. Targeted buildings are owner-occupied single-family homes and multifamily apartment buildings of six units or less in census tracts with high rates of unemployment, underemployment and poverty.

Qualifying weatherization activities include repair and replacement of inefficient water heaters, furnaces and air conditioners as well as weather stripping, caulking, window and door replacement, and pipe and duct insulation.

The Act provides that weatherization costs of up to $6,500 can be spent for an individual housing unit. And these dollars can be combined with the existing Illinois Home Weatherization Program (IHWAP) for a total potential unit benefit of $13,000.

I hope to see you next Tuesday, June 29 at Kenwood Academy. If you have questions, you can reply directly to this e-mail or call my District Service Office at 773-667-0550.
                                 ###########