Beginning in 1976, the US Department of Energy launched the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), created to assist low-income families who lacked resources to invest in energy efficiency. Organizations like NMIC that receive WAP funds are able to use the most advanced technologies available in the housing industry to improve the energy efficiency of low income homes. The energy conservation resulting from these efforts helps to reduce both our country’s dependence on foreign oil and the cost of energy for families in need, making weatherization one of the earliest “green” efforts in the United States.

NMIC’s building weatherization program requires collaboration among our staff, building landlords, and tenants – truly a group effort. Landlords apply for weatherization support, proving that fifty percent or more of their building’s tenants are at or below the income guidelines. Once the application has been accepted, a team of energy auditors assess the building and its units to determine which parts of the building should be weatherized. This is based on a formula that measures the amount of energy saved, versus the cost of weatherizing that part. While NMIC carries out some of the weatherization ourselves, most of the work is contracted out, creating employment opportunities for hundreds of New Yorkers.

Weatherization

Try to picture keeping your family warm on a January day in Northern Manhattan, with a cold wind blowing off the Hudson River. Your building’s boiler is unpredictable, drafts are coming in through the windows, and the best source of heat for your unit is the gas stove – which you leave on night and day. Unfortunately, this story is a common one in Northern Manhattan. Beginning in 1981, with the support of the federally funded Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), NMIC began to weatherize buildings throughout Northern Manhattan, and the results have been astounding. Not only are the buildings more energy-effi cient, driving down the living expenses for both landlords and tenants, but the overall impact on tenants’ quality of life is profound. New windows let in more light, decrease air drafts, and block out the sounds of noisy city life, making for a more pleasant living environment. New light fi xtures and fi re alarms also increase the safety and security of those living in the building. Landlords participating in this program must also agree to maintain rent levels once the apartments have been weatherized, allowing families to stay in their homes and enjoy the improvements. Since the program’s inception, 13,513 units in 415 buildings have been weatherized and 2,400 are in the pipeline. This year, NMIC received $10.4 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and we hope to receive more funding, in order to support this growing program and meet the needs of our community..

Did You Know…

For more information: Contact Dan Rieber at danrieber@ or 212-822-8338.