Citing persistent work delays, state officials have decided to replace a contractor weatherizing homes with federal stimulus money for low-income people in Cobb County.
The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority is taking part of its $7.6 million stimulus contract away from Gainesville-based Ninth District Opportunity and giving it to Tallatoona Community Action Partnership to do the work in Cobb.
Ninth District also must team up with North Georgia Community Action to continue doing its weatherization work in Forsyth and 12 other North Georgia counties. As of Aug. 31, Ninth District had weatherized 175 homes, state records show. State officials expected the agency to have more than twice the number done by then.
GEFA is also considering taking away part of Columbus-based Enrichment Services Program’s $4.5 million contract and giving it to one or more other agencies to do the work in Stewart, Randolph, Clay and Talbot counties. Between August of last year and September of this year, Enrichment Services weatherized 79 homes, meeting less than half of its goal of 206, state records show. ESP has until Nov. 11 to either accept GEFA’s plan or say why it should reconsider.
Officials with Enrichment Services and Ninth District did not respond to requests for comment Friday.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes $5 billion to weatherize homes for low-income families nationwide, create jobs and cut utility bills, energy use and pollution. The federal government is divvying up the money among the states, which are hiring community action agencies, nonprofits and local governments to do the work.
— by Jeremy Redmon – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution – Oct. 29, 2010
