Stimulus funds dry up, weatherization office closes

COEUR d'ALENE - As the number of people seeking sustenance from area food banks rises, funding for some other emergency assistance programs is running out.

One such casualty is the enhanced weatherization program run for the last two years through Community Action Partnership in Coeur d'Alene.

The local office is closing down Friday for good.

"We tried to keep it open as long as possible," said Larry Stamper, weatherization director for Community Action Partnership in Lewiston.

The program provides weatherization assistance - heating system efficiency, insulation, window and door reinforcement or replacement - to low-income homeowners and renters.

Since 1998 the agency's Lewiston office has provided these services to residents of Idaho's 10 northern counties.

The Coeur d'Alene weatherization office was opened two years ago when the agency received a boost of $7 million in federal stimulus money.

With those funds, the agency was able to weatherize an additional 1,026 homes, in addition to the roughly 300 homes it already services per year.

"The money has gone away, so we're reverting back to the way we did it before," Stamper said.

The Lewiston office will have technicians going out to complete the work.

They will rely, as they have in the past, on federal funding received through the state, some of it from Avista and Bonneville Power Administration, he said. The money is allocated to each county based on its poverty population.

"We'll continue doing it the best we can," Stamper said.

With the closure of the Coeur d'Alene office comes the loss of 20 jobs.

Brad Abernathey, production supervisor in the Kootenai County office, is one of the workers whose last day is Friday.

The local office had two crews visiting homes to complete the work in Idaho's five northern counties, and averaged about six jobs per week.

The agency prioritizes low-income seniors, people with disabilities and those with young children.

The funding cut means less people will be able to receive the services now offered through the Lewiston office, he said. Those who do receive the assistance will likely have to wait longer for it.

"We definitely had a very, very positive effect on the people we helped, in a much better way than just handing over some money," Abernathey said. "It's not a short-term savings. It's a long-term savings."

He estimates that many recipients see their monthly heating costs drop by half because of the service.