The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) State Energy Office has announced a $10 million Home Repair Weatherization Readiness Program aimed at supporting the state’s existing Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). The funding targets counties in Western North Carolina that were damaged by Hurricane Helene and are identified as “Most Impacted and Distressed” under the State of North Carolina Action Plan.
Of the total funding, $6 million will go to the Western Piedmont Council of Governments, while $4 million is allocated among several current WAP service providers. These include Blue Ridge Community Action, Blue Ridge Opportunity Commission, Community Action Opportunities, Four Square Community Action, ICARE Inc., Macon County Government, Mountain Projects Inc., WAMY Community Action, and Yadkin Valley Economic Development District. The program aims to assist more than 575 households.
The funds are part of North Carolina’s Disaster Recovery Act of 2024 – Part II (SL 2024-53), which provides flexibility for addressing home repair issues in homes on the WAP deferral lists. Homes are placed on these lists if they require major repairs or work not eligible for traditional weatherization funding. The new program also seeks to address households currently on waitlists for weatherization services.
“This new weatherization readiness funding is an important piece of the comprehensive effort to accelerate long-term recovery and strengthen energy resilience in communities hit hard by Helene,” said Reid Wilson, DEQ Secretary. “These projects will drive down home utility bills and ensure safer, healthier and more energy-efficient homes for families who need it most.”
Julie Woosley, SEO Director, stated: “For years, some households that have applied and qualified for weatherization assistance still ended up on waitlists because the demand is higher than the funding available, and this readiness funding will help get families in those communities off our weatherization providers’ waitlists. Families may have also been deferred in the past because their home needed a repair that wasn’t covered by weatherization funds. These readiness funds can also be used to make some home repairs so that more homes are moved off the deferral list and eligible for the WAP program. This effort is going to increase western NC’s sound and efficient housing stock, reduce energy costs for the most vulnerable families and individuals, and make homes safer and more comfortable.”
Weatherization efforts typically involve upgrades such as installing insulation, replacing inefficient HVAC systems, and sealing air leaks. These improvements can lower household energy use as well as carbon emissions while reducing strain on the electric grid during extreme weather events.
More information about these programs can be found at deq.nc.gov/state-energy-office; details about DEQ’s Weatherization Program are available at deq.nc.gov/energy-climate/state-energy-office/weatherization-assistance-program; information about Western Piedmont Council of Governments can be found at wpcog.org.
