FUNDING FOR LOW-INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (LIHEAP) IN COOK COUNTY ENDS THREE MONTHS EARLY

Residents Delinquent in Payments to Utilities Will Have No Utility Bill Assistance Available This Spring and May See Service Interruptions Beginning April 1st 

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) will be unavailable this spring to help Cook County residents who are behind in their payments to Illinois’ public utilities.  Over the last five years, federal funds for the program has declined, as Cook County residents’ need has increased.  Beginning April 1st, those residents could face interruption of their gas and/or electric service.

LIHEAP, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the State of Illinois, is designed to assist eligible low income households pay for winter energy services.  In Cook County, the program is administered by the Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County (CEDA), who has already helped more than 144,000 low-income households with their energy needs since September.   Last year 19,000 households used the LIHEAP program between March 16th and May 31st.  A 37% decline in available federal funding over the last five years and increases in need, have resulted in a funding shortfall this program year and will mean that no reconnection assistance will be available this spring.

This year, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) informed CEDA that funding for LIHEAP in Cook County has been exhausted and residents will not receive further financial assistance from the program during this Program Year.  Each year, LIHEAP ends on May 31st or until funding is exhausted, whichever occurs first.

The lack of funds will have a significant impact on Cook County residents who depend on LIHEAP to remove the threat of utility disconnection in the spring. While state law prohibits a gas or electric public utility from terminating service between December 1st and March 31st (except under certain conditions), the winter moratorium is ending.  On April 1st, public utilities may begin interrupting service to customers who are behind in their payments.     

Cook County residents with delinquent accounts should immediately contact the customer service department of their gas or electric public utility to request a payment plan or deferred billing plan  (contact information can be found on the monthly bills).  In addition, the customer service telephone numbers for Illinois’ major public utilities are: 

• Com Ed Care:    (888) 806-2273

• Peoples’ Gas Co:    (866) 556-6001

• North Shore Gas Co.: (847) 336-9300

• NICOR:   (888) 642-6748 

For more information, please visit www.cedaorg.net or call CEDA at (800) 571-2332. 

STATEMENT FROM RON BEAN, CHAIRMAN OF THE CEDA GOVERNING BOARD OF DIRECTORS

A distinguished executive with senior management experience in both the non-profit and corporate sectors is the new President and Chief Executive Officer of the Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County, Inc. (CEDA).

The Governing Board of Directors announced the appointment of Mr. Harold T. Rice to the leadership posts, effective July 1, 2014. 

The Board conducted a national search to identify new leadership to direct the agency and implement innovative procedures to assure CEDA’s long-term stability.

Mr. Rice brings more than 35 years of successful organizational leadership, with a record of corporate strategy development, operational management and fiscal prudence. Since 2008, he has been the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Albany Park Community Center. Prior to that role, Mr. Rice held multiple senior positions at the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago, serving at times as the Chief Development Officer, Chief Operating Office and a member of the Board of Directors. Earlier in his career, Mr. Rice owned and operated multiple McDonald’s franchises in the area and also worked for Baxter’s American Hospital Supply Division.

Mr. Rice will report to the Board and have overall responsibility for the implementation of policies, programs, and operations of the agency. He joins a leadership team that has been stabilized and strengthened by the efforts of Pam Pullman, the interim COO and Joel Wilcoxen, the interim CFO.

This year marks CEDA’s 50th anniversary of administering programs and services as part of the historic War on Poverty implemented under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964. Mr. Rice joins CEDA as the organization continues to design and implement new service delivery models, budgetary controls, and ways to maximize client capacity. CEDA remains committed to its historic mission of working in partnership with communities, empowering families, and helping individuals achieve self-sufficiency.

Mr. Rice earned an Associate of Arts Degree in Engineering Technology from Kennedy-King College and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Minnesota. He also has a Master of Science Degree from Cardinal Stritch University.

For more information, please visit www.cedaorg.net.

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For Further Information, please contact Tilden Katz –

(312) 606-2614 / tilden.katz@fticonsulting.com

Apply Now for Home Weatherization!

CEDA Weatherization is a year-round program using state-of-the-art technology to make homes more energy-efficient for qualifying low-income clients in Chicago and suburban Cook County. Weatherization provides safety and health equipment, repairs or replaces heating systems, seals air bypasses and other drafty areas, increases attic, wall, basement, and crawl space insulation. These measures will save energy for homeowners and keep homes warmer in winter and cooler in summer.

Call (800) 571-CEDA (2332) or visit www.cedaorg.net today for more information on how to apply.

LIHEAP-WX Intake Sites Wanted

CEDA is looking for non-profits and townships to be intake sites for Cook County Energy Services and Weatherization applicants. We have an RFP out until April 28, and a pre-RFP meeting Thursday, April 10, 10 AM. Please go to our Purchasing page at http://www.cedaorg.net/www2/Purchasing.html for further information.

I-Team: Heating bills skyrocket during extreme winter

Apply Now for Home Energy Assistance or Home Weatherization!

Now Accepting Applications for Home Weatherization

CEDA Weatherization is a year-round program using state-of-the-art technology to make homes more energy-efficient for qualifying low-income clients in Chicago and suburban Cook County. Weatherization provides safety and health equipment, repairs or replaces heating systems, seals air bypasses and other drafty areas, increases attic, wall, basement, and crawl space insulation. These measures will save energy for homeowners and keep homes warmer in winter and cooler in summer.

Call (800) 571-CEDA (2332) or visit www.cedaorg.net today for more information on how to apply.

CEDA Highlights Energy Saving Retrofit Technologies for Multi-family Residence

Weatherization Measures Demonstrated at North Side Apartment Building

On October 30, National Weatherization Day, representatives from CEDA Weatherization will join officials and community leaders at a 34-unit apartment building on Chicago’s North Side to highlight services being provided through the Illinois Home Weatherization Assistance Program (IHWAP).

CEDA will host a local press conference at 10:00 a.m. 4520-32 N. Malden St., Wednesday, October 30, 2013 to announce measures undertaken to enhance energy conservation and efficiency in this multi-family residence. Following the press conference, participants will be taken on a guided tour of the property giving attendees a first-hand look at completed weatherization measures and state-of-the-art weatherization technology used to make apartment homes more energy efficient.

“In Chicago, 28% of housing units are rental apartments. It’s important that these residents receive the same health and safety benefits of a weatherized living space as homeowners”, says Renet Murad, CEDA Conservation and Efficiency Director. CEDA’s Multi-Family Home Weatherization Assistance Program (IHWAP) is for building owners who provide housing to income-eligible residents in Chicago and suburban Cook County.

Annually, CEDA, other community action agencies and energy conservation groups nationwide observe the month of October as National Energy Awareness Month, celebrating the achievements made to help improve the lives of thousands of families. Demonstration is open to the public. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity administers the IHWAP program on the statewide level. Weatherization assistance applications are processed through a network of intake agencies in Chicago and suburban Cook County.

People interested in applying to have their home weatherized can visit www.cedaorg.net or call 800/571-CEDA (2332) more information.

CEDA Demonstrates Energy Saving Retrofit Technologies at Chicago Residence

Tuesday, October 30, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Marsha A. Belcher

312.260.9854 office
312.523.5657 mobile

CEDA Demonstrates Energy Saving Retrofit Technologies at Chicago Residence
Weatherization Measures Demonstrated at South Side Residence on National Weatherization Day

CHICAGO - October 30, 2012. To recognize National Weatherization Day, representatives from Illinois’ community action network will join CEDA President/CEO Patricia Doherty-Wildner and Interim CEDA Weatherization Director Ethel Brown in viewing retrofits made to a single family home on the city’s south side. The updates made through the Illinois Home Weatherization Assistance Program, will improve the energy efficiency of the property and increase energy savings. Attendees will include: Larry Dawson, deputy director and John Knox, assistant deputy director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Office of Energy Assistance; Kenneth Gilkes, from the office of Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr.  2^nd District; State Rep. Bob Rita, 28^th District; and Diane Turner, representing Carrie Austin, Alderwoman for the 34th Ward.
 

“Home Weatherization works for our communities.  This program provides permanent solutions to reduce the energy burden on families by installing cost-effective, energy-efficient materials and services,” said Pat Doherty-Wildner, CEDA president and CEO.
 

Featured in the demonstration will be a new ventilation standard, ASHRAE 62.2, loose fill, and dense pack cellulose insulation in the attic and walls. The 62.2 standard looks at the home’s capacity to remove contaminants (including moisture) from the bath and kitchen.  Bathrooms and kitchens are recognized as sources of poor indoor air quality.
 

“DCEO is a proud partner in this effort to help Illinois families live safely in their homes,” Dawson said. “Through Illinois’ home weatherization program, we’ve been able to help tens of thousands of homeowners reduce their long-term energy consumption and realize significant savings in their energy bills, while improving their overall quality of life.”
 

Annually, CEDA, other community action agencies and energy conservation groups nationwide observe the month of October as Weatherization Month. Weatherization Month is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements made to help improve the lives of thousands of families.

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CEDA is the nation’s largest Community Action Agency serving more than 240,000 individuals annually and operating over 30 programs throughout Cook County.

CEDA Joins the Nation to Recognize National Weatherization Month

Pat Doherty-Wildner
President/CEO

October is a good time to ready our homes for the winter ahead.  It is important to revisit or develop a home fire escape plan that prepares your family to think fast and get out quickly when the smoke alarm or carbon monoxide detector sounds. It’s time to replaces all batteries in the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

October is also National Weatherization Month.  CEDA wants you to begin readying your homes for the winter.  For those Cook County residents eligible for CEDA Home Weatherization, it’s time to visit one of our CEDA centers to apply.

Effective September 2012, the nationwide weatherization focus is primarily on health and safety.  The U.S. Department of Energy has announced adjustments to the Home Weatherization Program to ensure strong health and safety measures for the homes we weatherize.
It’s all about good venting.  CEDA’s Home Weatherization assessors will evaluate the existing ventilation in the home. CEDA’s Home Weatherization assessors will evaluate if:

• naturally drafting combustion equipment like furnaces and hot water heaters are properly vented,
• dryers are properly vented,
• gas appliances and gas lines have leaks, and if
• CO detectors and smoke detectors are properly installed.

Most houses waste energy and different types of houses and apartments have different energy issues. CEDA assessors will still measure energy loss and make sure that your home is tight and safe.

Listen carefully to the results of the energy audit for your home as the assessment measures and priorities are different from past years.

Whether your home is weatherized by CEDA, a professional energy efficiency contractor or by you, a DIY, think health, think safety and think energy savings!

FOR MORE INFORMATION

http://www.cedaorg.net/www2/EnergyEfficiency.html

 800/571-CEDA