news-record.com

I learned this morning that the nonprofit agencies that weatherize low-income households still have not received their share of federal stimulus funds. However, the state Office of Economic Opportunity issued contracts in August for the stimulus-funded work and also allocated funds for the agencies' regular weatherization budgets. (Background on the program and why it's running behind.)

I spoke to Tiffanie Wilson, weatherization director for Regional Consolidated Services (RCS) in Asheboro. The agency, which serves Guilford, Randolph and three other counties, received $1.5 million in regular weatherization funding, about half of what they received last year, she said. (Note added: I rechecked the RCS budget and they actually received about the same amount in 2008.) That amount will pay for work at 169 homes.

RCS is supposed receive an additional $11.4 million to weatherize 2,728 households over a three year period, but those funds haven't flowed from the state yet.

I also talked with Melvin Dodson, the weatherization coordinator with Alamance County Community Services Agency in Burlington. He confirmed that agencies have not yet received stimulus funds.

"I really don't know what the problem is," Dodson said. "Nobody can seem to tell you."

Dodson said the agency received enough in regular funding to weatherize 37 homes this year instead of the typical 70 homes. The state plans to allocate about $2 million in stimulus funds to pay for an additional 1,057 households over three years. Dodson said his agency has already weatherized about a dozen homes and fears running out of money before the stimulus portion kicks in.

"By the end of September I'll probably be panicky," he said. "Hopefully we'll have something in place by then, or within the next two to three weeks."

I'm waiting to get an update from Verna Best, the acting director of the Office of Economic Opportunity, which administers the Weatherization Assistance Program. I was told she is out of the office until Tuesday.