Stimulus money used to offer energy efficiency help to
low-income families, provides jobs for displaced workers
Central Coast Energy Services, a nonprofit organization based in
Watsonville, received the first of three contracts from the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)
– Economic Stimulus designated for the weatherization of
low-income homes and is utilizing it to provide work for more than
90 new employees.
Stimulus money used to offer energy efficiency help to low-income families, provides jobs for displaced workers
Central Coast Energy Services, a nonprofit organization based in Watsonville, received the first of three contracts from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) – Economic Stimulus designated for the weatherization of low-income homes and is utilizing it to provide work for more than 90 new employees.
“It changes everything that we do,” said Lizet Moreno, marketing and outreach for CCES. “What we are used to working with is $155,000 from the Department of Energy. With the stimulus we received close to $2 million, and we have to spend it by next September.”
CCES staff expects to receive close to $4 million over the next two years in weatherization dollars from the Department of Energy Weatherization Assistance Program (DOE WAP), as part of the stimulus package.
CCES has been around in some form since 1977, when it was started as the Energy Conservation Program by the Community Action Board of Santa Cruz. Through the years, the nonprofit has evolved and now works in Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Benito and south Santa Clara counties. The stimulus money will be used for CCES’ home weatherization services.
“It allows a whole lot more that we can do,” Moreno said, “A lot more that we can serve.”
The staff has $6,500 per household to work with and the program starts with low-income homeowners or renters applying for it. If they qualify, CCES staff will contact them to set up a home inspection where they will determine the household needs. Some of the projects they have helped with include installing energy efficient light bulbs and water-saving showerheads, caulking, weather stripping, and even replacement of windows and doors. The program can also be used to replace appliances such as refrigerators, stoves, furnaces or water heaters with more energy-efficient items.
“When they are stuck between buying a new appliance or paying the rent or paying the bills, if it is semi-functional, they prefer to go with semi-functional than to not pay the rent,” Moreno said. “I can’t say enough about the program. It is no strings attached. All we ask for is the most recent PG&E bill and income documents for the last 30 days.”
Moreno said the biggest challenge to the program is getting the word out and getting homeowners or residents to believe them.
“In the past, we haven’t pushed it so much as we are today. We haven’t had the funds to do this kind of work and now that we do, we need to get the word out. People are very skeptical,” she said. “They think, ‘No one is going to give me a free fridge or stove, or put windows in free.’ Now that we are starting our door-to-door campaign, if they see [the flier] on their door knob, they can recognize what organization is coming out.”
CJ Valenzuela, the housing programs coordinator for San Benito County, said his office is partnering with CCES on current and future housing projects in San Benito County and Hollister.
“We are already working on a lot of housing and project programs that will help complement the weatherization program,” Valenzuela said. “The city and county are working on activating and implementing a first-time homebuyer program and will be working on activating and implementing a rehabilitation program. Just those two alone will be complementary.”
Valenzuela is helping to promote CCES programs through low-income developers such as South County Housing, Community Housing Improvement Systems and Planning Association, and Habitat for Humanity, which runs the “Brush with Kindness” rehabilitation program in San Benito.
“The important thing is going beyond just increasing energy efficiency and upgrading energy compliance,” Valenzuela said. “This is actually going to create jobs, and has actually created them.”
CCES partnered with various programs throughout the Central Coast to obtain youth and displaced workers to fill Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), CalWorks Work Experience Project (WEX), and the California Conservation Corps/AmeriCorps, in addition to San Benito County’s Cal Youth at Work, all provided the workforce needed to prepare for the demand to weatherize low-income homes, generated by the funding. The positions that have been filled range from door-to-door outreach crews and supervisors to weatherization crews and crew leaders.
Some residents may have already received fliers about the program at their homes. CCES outreach crews distribute materials that include information on how to apply for CCES’s programs, Energy Conservation Tips from the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG), and PG&E CARE Program applications. It is estimated that the information reaches more than 20,000 households each week.
“This is a great program that is much needed, especially with the new wave of energy efficiency and solar technology,” Valenzuela said. “This one program alone will be a benefit for the community.”
The program is offered at no cost to homeowners and renters, including those who occupy mobile homes.
“This is a really good service, and it really pushes [President Barack] Obama’s agenda to go green,” Moreno said.
Homeowners and renters can call CCES at 1-888-728-3637 to apply or visit www.EnergyServices.org.
