The Daily Journal – Those seeking help in their homes with energy efficiency can turn to Gateway Community Action Partnership, who have just been given the OK for a reimbursable federal grant.
The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs will help facilitate a $490,300 U.S. Department of Energy grant for the community action program, which Gateway can use to help low-income residents weatherize their homes.
The announcement was made in a news release by 3rd District legislators Senate President Steve Sweeney, Assembly Deputy Speaker John J. Burzichelli and Assemblyman Adam Taliaferro.
“The cost of owning and maintaining a home is a difficult burden for many of our residents,” Sweeney said in the release. “That is especially true when it comes to paying the monthly utility bills. This grant will help people modernize and improve their homes and save money at the same time.”
Gateway Community Action Partnership is one of the largest community action programs in the state, serving Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties.
Mayor Albert Kelly, who is also the president and CEO of Gateway, likewise celebrated the grant.
“It’s going to help many people during this winter but also year-round,” Kelly said. “When you weatherize homes, it’s to make them more secure. It’s going to help families.”
What the grant does specifically is provide weatherization services, including air sealing, weather stripping, insulation, improvements in lighting and replacing outdated appliances with more energy efficient ones.
“Beating the summer heat and surviving a rough winter is a lot easier to do when you have a properly sealed home,” Burzichelli said. “The rising cost of electricity forces many people to sweat out paying their bills. This grant will ease that burden.”
“Energy efficiency is the best way to make sure homeowners can cut costs while maintaining their quality of life,” Taliaferro said. “This is great news for the residents of our district.”
Kelly said those in the city looking to apply for help through Gateway can sign up on its website or call (856) 455-5900.
