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| June 16, 2009 | ||
| Economic recovery funds totaling $3.5 million head to nonprofits to generate new business activity | ||
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Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Representative Neil Abercrombie today said two nonprofit agencies—one in Honolulu and another on Maui—will soon be able to contract local small businesses to make the homes of eligible families more energy efficient using federal economic recovery funds. The two nonprofits are the Honolulu Community Action Program (HCAP) and Maui Economic Opportunity (MEO), Inc. which have been selected by the State Office of Community Services to provide $3.5 million dollars in home weatherization services for eligible Hawaii residents. HCAP is receiving more than $1 million to provide services on Oahu, and MEO is getting $2.5 million to serve the counties of Maui, Kauai and Hawaii. The services are funded through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed by Congress in February. “The Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) helps hundreds of families with limited financial resources weatherize their homes, saving them money on utility bills and improving Hawaii’s energy efficiency by cutting our overall consumption of electricity,” said Abercrombie. “WAP is a jobs creator. It means increased business activity and the creation of green jobs in our local economy. In fact, the HCAP and MEO contracts with the state are evaluated in part on a measurement of job creation.” Once contracts between the nonprofits and the state are finalized, area low-income families who meet requirements on income and household size will be able to apply with HCAP and MEO for assistance, which includes replacing tube lighting with compact fluorescent light bulb fixtures and installing solar water heaters. In most cases, the nonprofits will then subcontract the installation work. Joy Barua, HCAP Interim Executive Director said, “We will be able to serve many more families. Our partnerships with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and Kanu Hawaii are just two of the many partnerships that we have already formalized in order to serve the needs of low-income families, reduce our dependence on foreign imported fuels and create opportunities for local construction businesses generating real wealth for Oahu.” MEO, a community action organization in Wailuku, Maui, expects the program will stir new business activity and create new job training opportunities. The organization will partner with Kauai Economic Opportunity and Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council to enable the program to reach Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kauai, and the Big Island. “There will definitely be a positive impact on businesses specializing in weatherization, as our program alone expects to serve nearly 500 households with solar water heaters and compact fluorescent light fixtures installed in the three counties,” said Sandy Baz, chief executive officer of Maui Economic Opportunity. “An important part of our program involves the creation of job training opportunities for eligible individuals interested in careers in these kinds of ‘green’ jobs. Between the trade union apprenticeship programs having a waiting list and the requirements of the Hawaii Clean Energy Act there will be a strong demand for these types of jobs in the future. As a result, we’ll set up job training and internships with solar water heater companies.” Residents who meet the program’s family income guidelines and other requirements can apply for Weatherization Assistance Program services by contacting: Honolulu Community Action Program (HCAP) Ace Tufu Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc. (MEO) -30- |