Weatherization program hopes to help

Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Staff Writer

Mario Rosales applies a fresh layer of caulking to a indow on Wednesday while weatherizing the Garcia family home on Lincoln Avenue in Gallup. Rosales is part of Los Amigos E.R.C., Inc, which provides a weatherization assistance program and is currently seeking houses in McKinley County to take advantage of $180,000 in funds. The progam has provided weatherization for approximately 70 homes in Cibola County. (Photo by Jeff Jones/Independent)

GALLUP — Anthony Roybal has a unique problem.

He's got $180,000 to spend on low income families in McKinley County, but can't seem to find people who want to benefit from his money.

And this is in a county that is frequently cited as being one of the poorest counties in the United States.

Roybal, of Santa Fe, is the executive director of Los Amigos Education Resource Center, Inc., a free weatherization assistance program that helps low income families make their homes warmer, safer, and more energy efficient. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.

According to Roybal, he has no problem finding needy families in Cibola and San Juan counties who want help with replacing broken windows, insulating doors, and replacing old water heaters, furnaces, stoves, and refrigerators.

But McKinley County has him stumped.

"This has been one of the counties that has been difficult to get applications," Roybal said. He has worked with the program for 25 years, he explained, and has worked with 12 counties and ten Indian pueblos.

Roybal said he has $180,000 budgeted for McKinley County, which he estimates could weatherize about 80 homes, but he and his crews have only worked on five homes thus far. That money needs to be used by the end of this fiscal year, which is June 2005.

"The money we don't spend in this county is moved somewhere else or we lose it," he said. Roybal and his crews were in Gallup on Wednesday, weatherizing a few homes. During his interview with The Independent, the Los Amigos team was working to replace broken windows in a house on Gallup's Northside. According to Roybal, the family of three was spending about $300 a month on just their gas bill. After the weatherization work, he estimated their heating bill would be cut in half.

"That's what this program is all about," he said, "saving money."

Typical work the Los Amigos crews perform includes installing weatherstripping, replacing damaged windows and doors, testing all gas appliances for safety, replacing stoves and furnaces, installing smoke alarms, and monitoring for carbon dioxide leaks.

The crews also replace standard light bulbs. Each new bulb costs about eight or nine dollars, he explained, but they are very energy efficient and last about seven years. "They create great savings," he said. "You can save 65 to 75 percent on your electric bill."

Old refrigerators are tested with a digital power meter to see how much voltage they use. If refrigerators are found to be inefficient, Los Amigos can provide families with newer models.

Roybal said Los Amigos spends about $1,000 to $3,500 in each home. Although that is not a lot of money for home repair, the money goes farther, he explained, because the program buys at wholesale prices and has an in-house contractor.

Roybal encouraged McKinley County families to apply quickly while the money is still available and there is no waiting list.

Individuals who are interested in applying for weatherization assistance should call the Los Amigos' toll free number and request an application. Completed applications need to be returned with proof of income, a copy of a recent heating bill, and proof of home ownership. Los Amigos will provide the return envelope and even the postage stamp.

According to Roybal, eligible families must meet these annual income guidelines:

• Single person: $13,955 or less
  
• Family of two: $18,735 or less
  
• Family of three: $23,505 or less
  
• Family of four: $28,275 or less
  
• Family of five: $32,045 or less
  
• Family of six: $37,815 or less

However, if any family member is receiving SSI benefits, he added, the family will automatically qualify for the weatherization assistance.

Families at Zuni Pueblo can qualify for assistance with Los Amigos, just as families at Acoma and Laguna Pueblos; however, Roybal said, the program can only work with families on the Navajo Reservation if their home is located within ten miles of the reservation border. Homes farther inside the reservation are covered by a similar tribal program, he said.

Individuals interested in applying for the free weatherization services should call Los Amigos' toll free number and request an application: 1-888-303-7743.