By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – The St. John the Baptist Parish Council authorized administrators last week to seek new bids on labor, service and materials for residential plumbing, electrical, heating, ventilating and air conditioning repairs to assist low-income homeowners in the parish.

The contracts are part of the local branch of the federally funded Weatherization Program. The program, which utilizes funds from President Barak Obama’s 2009 economic stimulus package, is designed to assist low-income households with their cooling or heating bills by providing home energy and efficiency services.

St. John Public Information Officer Paige Braud said the St. John Department of Health and Human Services is partnered with Assumption Parish Police Jury, St. Charles Office of Community Services and St. James Department of Human Resources to form the local branch of the program. She said St. John HHS is the lead agency for the Weatherization program.

“The funding is used to make these homes more energy efficient,” Braud said. “It helps lower energy bills for families who are already dealing with low income.”

According to the Louisiana Association of Community Action, once a household is deemed eligible, a certified Louisiana Weatherization Auditor completes an inspection of the home for energy, health and safety concerns.

Braud said Work will be done by local licensed and insured contractors at no cost to the occupants. She said the parish is hoping to land multiple contractors for each element of the work.

Typical weatherization work includes air sealing, attic and/or sidewall insulation, weather-stripping and/or minor repairs. All work receives a thorough Quality Control Inspection by an energy Auditor. Households with incomes up to 200 percent of the poverty level are eligible.

Braud said due to limited funding, priority points are awarded to households with members who are elderly, disabled, and/or have children under the age of five. Households with exceptionally high energy bills may also receive priority service.

In 2009, the state received $122.3 million in federal economic recovery money to fund the program over a three-year period. Over the next three years, the housing finance agency hopes to weatherize about 6,000 homes across the state.

It also hopes to use some of the money to improve the energy-efficiency of apartments so renters can also benefit from lower utility bills.