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County-led EPA grant will fund energy upgrades for Kalamazoo owner-occupied homes, officials say
Summary
County and city staff told Kalamazoo City commissioners that an EPA-funded program to make owner-occupied homes more energy efficient has an obligated contract, uses reimbursement payments, and will begin enrollment in the second quarter with outreach targeted to four neighborhood centers and workforce training supports.
County and city staff told the Kalamazoo City Committee of the Whole that a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant is obligated to the county and will fund energy-efficiency upgrades and related services for owner-occupied homes in Kalamazoo.
The presenters said the county has a signed contract obligating the funds but the grant is a reimbursement program, which makes the schedule sensitive to temporary funding freezes. Enrollment is slated to begin in the second quarter, with upgrades and workforce training to follow.
County staff described why the program matters and how it will work. The funds are intended to reduce energy use in homes, upgrade community facilities and support pre-apprenticeship workforce training. Staff said the program will coordinate with the City of Kalamazoo’s existing lead-abatement work and neighborhood organizations to avoid duplicative spending.
Taylor, a county presenter, told commissioners, "So the funds have to be spent and then they're reimbursed by the EPA, which means they're being directly impacted by funding freezes right now." He…
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