City of Austin

The Austin City Council will soon consider the acceptance of $900,000 in grant funds from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) to help lower-income residents make energy-efficient improvements their homes.

Earlier this month, the Austin City Council accepted $200,000 out of a potential $600,000 from the TDHCA for the Austin Energy Weatherization Program. City staff has worked directly with the TDHCA over the past few weeks to restore the $400,000, and received an additional $500,000 to be implemented by the end of March, 2012.

If approved, these funds will allow Austin Energy to improve older, energy-inefficient homes for Austin’s low-income, elderly, and disabled residents.  A total of 182 units will receive weatherization services, which can include heater/air conditioner replacement, insulation repairs and additions, sealing around doors and windows, and the replacement of gas stoves found to be leaking carbon monoxide.

“I was extremely pleased to have the opportunity to convey our needs and work with the TDCHA on this issue, “said City Manager Marc Ott. “We appreciate their willingness to not only restore, but greatly enhance this program’s funding, which will go a long way in assisting many of our city’s neediest residents.”

Mayor Lee Leffingwell echoed those sentiments. “This is an important program that provides vital services to many of our residents,” said Leffingwell. “As we continue into the colder months of the year, I’m pleased with the City Manager’s effort to ensure we have sufficient funding for this program.”

Over the next few weeks, staff will work diligently with the MWBE Advisory Committee, as well as the Electric Utility and Resource Management Commissions to ensure all communication and process issues are effectively handled prior to Council consideration.

City Council will likely consider the approval of this funding during its Jan. 12 meeting.