More than 60 low-income homes in Vermont will get weatherized thanks to a grant just announced from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The $250,000 grant will be channeled through four organizations across the state. The Vermont Center for Independent Living and Southeastern Vermont Community Action will each receive $25,000. Larger grants, of $100,000, will go to Rural Edge, a housing assistance program based in Lyndonville, and to the Northeast Employment and Training Organization, with offices in Newport and St. Johnsbury.
The Northeast Kingdom has been declared a Rural Economic Area Partnership, or REAP zone, which gets priority for the USDA funding. Vermont is second only to California in the amount of money awarded in this round.
Vermont has the second-oldest housing stock in the nation, with many homes needing insulation, doors and windows. The most recent USDA grants are not the only source of help for people who need to make their homes more energy efficient. The state also operates a weatherization program based on income eligibility.
