THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Vice President
___________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 6, 2009
Unprecedented interagency collaboration will help save energy cost, lower carbon footprint
WASHINGTON - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Secretary Shaun Donovan and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary
Steven Chu today announced an important step forward in the partnership
between HUD and DOE to streamline and better coordinate federal
weatherization programs. These efforts will make it easier for
low-income families to weatherize their homes, saving money for working
families and creating tens of thousands of new green jobs.
Today, the Secretaries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to
coordinate energy retrofit programs in the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009. The signing of the MOU today represents the
next step in a longer-term partnership between these agencies, as they
continue to make it easier and more cost-effective for families to
weatherize their homes. To view the MOU, please go to: http://www.hud.gov/recovery/doemoucombined.pdf
This unprecedented interagency collaboration will help minimize
administrative barriers and simplify the process for residents of HUD
public and assisted housing that are seeking to weatherize their homes
under the DOE Weatherization Assistance Program, which is targeted to
low-income households. By eliminating unnecessary red tape and helping
more families weatherize their homes, Secretary Chu and Secretary
Donovan are helping to fulfill President Obama’s goal of making
government work better for all Americans.
Vice President Joe Biden, joined by Secretary Donovan and Secretary
Chu, praised the interagency proposal during his remarks at a Recovery
Act Implementation Cabinet Meeting in Washington, D.C.
"This agreement is the perfect example of government coming together in
service of the greater good," said Vice President Biden. "Thanks to
this new partnership, we’re going to tear down the unnecessary barriers
in making the homes of low-income and elderly citizens more
energy-efficient and shred the red tape that too often stands between
government assistance and the people it is meant to serve. In the
process, we’ll not only bring down energy costs, but also create new
green jobs that will be the foundation of our economic recovery."
"The Recovery Act made a critical investment in home energy
efficiency," said Secretary Chu. "But, to help as many families as
possible, we need to cut the federal red tape that tangles up too many
Americans trying to do the right thing. By making it as easy as
possible for families to weatherize their homes, we can create new jobs
that can’t be shipped overseas, save families money on their energy
bills, and take another step toward energy independence."
"HUD is committed to making public housing more green, while keeping it
as affordable as possible for working families, particularly in these
challenging economic times," said Secretary Donovan. "This partnership
will ensure that HUD and DOE together can play a significant role in
the Administration’s goal to weatherize one million homes, while at
this same time serving a population in need. I am proud of the work our
agencies have done and look forward to a continued partnership with
Secretary Chu and DOE to make all housing affordable and energy
efficient."
This agreement will also impact tens of thousands of residents in rural
communities -- mostly seniors and low-income individuals -- who are
part of U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Multi+Family Housing Direct
Loan Program.
"This agreement will make a big difference in the lives of many rural
residents providing much-needed heating and cooling, saving money and
enhancing energy efficiency," said U.S. Department of Agriculture
Secretary Tom Vilsack added.
Currently, the income verification requirements under DOE’s
Weatherization Assistance Program duplicate the HUD system for
verifying income before providing housing subsidies. Under this new
agreement, the income verification process will be conducted only once,
breaking down bureaucratic barriers to using weatherization funds in
HUD-assisted housing. HUD is committing to rent stabilization and
scope of work requirements consistent with weatherization requirements.
The Recovery Act provides $16 billion to the Department of Energy and
the Department of Housing and Urban Development to improve the energy
efficiency of existing homes. The partnership announced today between
HUD and DOE will coordinate funding for the Weatherization Assistance
Program, which received $5 billion under the Recovery Act. Other
energy efficiency efforts include $4.5 billion in HUD funding to
renovate and upgrade public and Native American housing, as well as
$250 million to retrofit privately owned federally assisted housing. In
addition to the weatherization funds, DOE received $3.2 billion for
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants for cities, counties,
states and Indian Tribes, $3.1 billion for the State Energy Program,
and other programs.
The Recovery Act funds provide an historic opportunity for the two
agencies to work together to accelerate deployment of energy efficient
and green building technologies in millions of homes, while helping to
create a highly-qualified, highly-trained, and high-performing
workforce. Today’s announcement is only one step in a continued
partnership between the two agencies. HUD and DOE will continue to
work together to provide guidance to public and assisted housing on
energy efficiency programs, develop a common baseline for measuring
energy efficiency, and develop new home energy financing products.
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