Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Clearinghouse acf home privacy policy
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FY 2001 State Residential Energy Assistance Challenge Option Program

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) made grant awards totaling $4,505,446 to four states and the District of Columbia under the Residential Energy Assistance Challenge Option Program (REACH) for FY 2001. This is the sixth distribution of REACH funds.

The District of Columbia received an additional $100,000 for energy efficiency education proposals that met specified standards.

STATE REACH AWARDS:        $4,505,446
Alaska
District of Columbia
Kentucky
Maine
Michigan


STATE OF ALASKA                 $998,270
Alaska Department of Health and Social Services
Rural  Alaska Community Action Program, Inc.         

The State of Alaska Electrical Saving Initiative (ESI) will teach Alaskans to recognize and act upon electrical energy conservation opportunities. In conjunction with Rural Alaska Community Action Program, Inc. (Rural CAP), the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services will provide the following services to rural Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) recipients and their communities: energy-efficiency education; residential energy demand management services; family services; and facilitation of negotiation with home energy suppliers. The program will build on the experience of the current Energy Conservation Initiative and focus on reducing electricity consumption, thereby reducing overall energy costs in Alaskan homes.

The Rural CAP's AmeriCorps Program will provide a successful, established vehicle for implementing the ESI. Each year, 25 AmeriCorps members will devote 20% for 10 months of their year of service to design and implement a holistic approach to energy conservation in their own communities. While all households in each of 75 AmeriCorps member communities (25 communities/year x 3 years) will be served through some activities, the program will primarily be aimed at serving current LIHEAP recipients. LIHEAP recipients in non-AmeriCorps member communities statewide will also benefit from a bi-monthly energy conservation newsletter and recipients in urban/hub communities such as Kotzebue, Dillingham, Bethel, and Nome will benefit from both the newsletter and from community energy fairs.

Combining electrical energy-efficiency education with energy-efficient product incentives, assistance from energy suppliers, and financial planning and budgeting for energy needs, this program will reduce individual and community dependence on expensive electrical resources.


DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA               $1,100,000
DC Energy Office
United Planning Organization

The DC Residential Energy Assistance Challenge (DC/REACH) will develop and deliver a holistic approach to helping low-income households become more energy self-sufficient through five interrelated programs:

  • Aggregation -- providing access to market purchasing power for low-income households

  • Education and outreach - helping low-income households reduce their energy bins through energy efficiency, education. A special focus of this program will be on reaching eligible households who are not now currently participating in energy education and assistance programs.

  • Home affordability program - targeting assistance to low-income homeowners who are vulnerable to losing their homes because they can not afford to pay their home energy bills.

  • Home ownership program - partnering with federal/state down payment assistance programs (including HOME programs and Individual Development Accounts) to provide energy assistance, weatherization, and education to help low-income households qualify for home ownership. Fannie Mae will provide technical assistance for this effort.

  • Develop proposals for consideration by the DC Public Service Commission to implement low-income affordability programs under the District's new public benefit program.

Taken together these five program initiatives will make a difference for low-income households - energy affordability to help a family to stay in their rental home, maintain home ownership or purchase a home. Each component of the program has the same goal - to help empower low-income energy self-sufficiency and thereby promoting housing affordability.


STATE OF KENTUCKY                  $994,998
Kentucky Department of Community Based Services
Louisville & Jefferson County Community Action Agency

The Louisville and Jefferson County Community Action Agency (CAA) seeks to reduce the burden of energy costs by a minimum average of $500 per year for at least 150 low-income residents of Jefferson County, Kentucky (with emphasis on homeowners residing in certain impoverished Zip Codes). This project seeks to help 50 REACH participants attain self-sufficiency and to help an additional 50 participants reach a level of stability in their life circumstances (as measured by established self-sufficiency scales).

The above results will be achieved through the operation of a three-year REACH Project. REACH participants will be chosen from a pool of LIHEAP Crisis clients. Working as a team, the CM, Project Warm (a non-profit energy conservation/weatherization services provider), and the participant will effect energy repairs and extensive home weatherization activities. Participants will receive periodic energy education/household budgeting counseling and intensive holistic case management services.

Project implementation will be accomplished through the active involvement of the participants. Our duly constituted Administering Board, in cooperation with the Energy Conservation Associates Inc. board, will monitor the progress of the project and make improvements as needed.


STATE OF MAINE                       $700,000
Maine State Housing Authority

As with our current REACH program, interventions in this proposal will be delivered through eleven (11) Community Action Program agencies (CAA's) located within Maine. These agencies are the primary points of entry to available services for the state's low-income population.

Project 1 's target population is elderly renter households within the state demonstrating the highest energy burdens, and will
consist of roughly 350 highly burdened households; The Project 1 methodology will deliver, a three-tiered intervention model,
consisting of:     

  • The distribution of energy conservation materials designed to facilitate self-help energy reduction measures. - (Tier 1)
  • Home energy audits - (Tier 2)
  • Appliance repair and replacement, and other Energy Use Reduction Measures - (Tier 3)

Project 2's target population is eleven (11) low-income, owner occupied homes of mixed family types and size from around the state. We propose to install solar heated domestic hot water systems in these homes to assess their practicality and cost-
effectiveness in lowering the energy burden on low-income families.

The proposal emphasizes electrical energy conservation in response to its relatively high costs, and because our experience indicates we will have the highest positive impact on household energy burden if we concentrate on electrical energy consumption. All proposed interventions are scheduled for completion within the first 12 months of the project.


STATE OF MICHIGAN                 $712,178
Michigan Family Independence Agency
Genesee County Community Action Agency
Monroe County Opportunity Program
Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency

The Michigan REACH program is a collaborative effort by the Michigan Family Independence Agency (FIA) and three community-based, non-profit agencies, serving four counties.

The participating agencies are: 

  • Genesee County Community Action Agency (GCCAA)
  • Monroe County Opportunity Program (MCOP)
  • Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency (OLHSA)

As the lead agency, FIA will oversee the proposed projects and coordinate the activities with Michigan's efforts to promote
household self-sufficiency for the state's low-income households.

Building upon its first REACH project, GCCAA will educate, support and provide do-it-yourself energy saving kits to 300 families to assist them in attaining energy self-sufficiency. The program will involve coordination with a local Head Start program, energy education/life skills training, support in negotiations for payment arrangements with energy suppliers and family needs assessments and appropriate service referrals.

The MCOP will enroll 100 low-income households in a six-month program consisting of in-home energy services, case management, life skills education and follow-up services.   The goal is to increase energy efficiency, minimize health and safety risks and prevent homelessness for project participants through implementation of this comprehensive and intensive program.

The OLHSA operates the Head Start Program in Pontiac and a charter school, Pontiac Academy of Excellence. OLHSA will use REACH funds to develop and implement a yearlong energy conservation program for the children of Baldwin and Frost Head Start programs and for the Charter School students.   A curriculum committee will develop age appropriate studies, projects, events, etc. that will be integrated into the regular curriculum and school schedule.  Opportunities to engage the entire family and resources from the utility companies and environmental groups will be sought to enhance the project.


Page Last Updated: December 7, 2005