ESC Annual Report 2019
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Community is Ready to Invest<br />
fixtures, and heating/cooling. Repairs also could include<br />
siding and window repair or replacement. Accessibility<br />
modifications for persons with disabilities are designed<br />
to increase the ability of the homeowner to function<br />
effectively within the home.<br />
In 2018, <strong>ESC</strong>’s Home Repair<br />
Department had a successful year<br />
rehabilitating 24 homes in our<br />
four county service area.<br />
<strong>ESC</strong> spent an average of<br />
$23,363.25 on the homes<br />
we rehabilitated in 2018.<br />
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A Collaborative Effort for Wilma’s House<br />
All of the families who received these services now live<br />
in safer and more energy efficient homes. Homeowners<br />
can look forward to a warm and cozy home for the winter<br />
and a cooler home this summer.<br />
Before<br />
After<br />
As an elderly single homeowner, Wilma had struggled physically and financially to make the much<br />
needed repairs to her home. Wilma had been selected for the HeRO Home Repair Program.<br />
Before work could begin, Southern Newton County and Northern McDonald County had a historic<br />
weekend of flooding. Then on Monday, they braced for the next deluge of rain. When the flood waters<br />
finally crested, Wilma was one of the first people we were concerned about as we had received word<br />
that her neighborhood had flooded.<br />
Thank goodness she was fine, but she was devastated that she had lost everything. We were able<br />
to get into her neighborhood to assess the damage to her home. It did not take long to determine<br />
that she had truly lost everything. Wilma did have homeowners insurance, but she did not have flood<br />
insurance, as she was not required to have it since she did not live in the flood zone.<br />
<strong>ESC</strong> rapidly deployed into action and assisted Wilma with locating<br />
temporary housing through our Community Development Department.<br />
<strong>ESC</strong>’s Home Repair and Weatherization teamed up to assess the damage<br />
to Wilma’s home.<br />
With the support and approval from Missouri Housing Development<br />
Commission, the Department of Economic Development/Division of<br />
Energy, and Liberty Utilities Corporate Social Responsibility Fund, Wilma’s<br />
home repairs were ready to move forward. Our community partners, Habitat<br />
for Humanity, Lowes, and Ridout, also sprang into action with donations.<br />
Wilma said, “I was so excited when the work started on my home and I<br />
couldn’t wait each day to see the progress that they had made. They were<br />
so patient with me with all of my questions. If it wasn’t for <strong>ESC</strong>, I could not<br />
have made the repairs to my home and I would have been forced to move<br />
to an apartment. Now I’m a homebody and I won’t hardly go anywhere! “<br />
WEATHERIZATION<br />
Home Weatherproofing<br />
<strong>ESC</strong>’s Weatherization program<br />
completed 82 homes during fiscal<br />
year 2018. Through our energy<br />
efficiency measures, families are able<br />
to effectively heat and cool their<br />
homes instead of letting that energy<br />
seep outside. On average a family<br />
these savings add up to more selfsufficiency<br />
and less dependency on<br />
other services such as utility assistance.<br />
We accomplished these great savings by employing a<br />
variety of energy conservation measures such as replacing<br />
incandescent lighting with LED bulbs, adding insulation<br />
to attic and walls, weather stripping, repairing windows,<br />
general air sealing, duct sealing, water heater jackets,<br />
pipe insulation, and repairing or replacing furnaces and<br />
water heaters due to safety reasons. Approximately 22%<br />
of our homes were found to be unsafe during the initial<br />
inspection. Our neighbors enjoy a better quality of life<br />
as a result of our Weatherization services.<br />
Already highlighted Customers living<br />
in our four county area who are at<br />
50% or lower of the Poverty<br />
Guidelines pay more than 28% of<br />
their income toward energy burden.<br />
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .<br />
We spend an average of<br />
$4,391.82 per home.<br />
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .<br />
Reduction of average energy seepage<br />
by 31.05%.<br />
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .<br />
We support approximately 22 jobs<br />
in our communities.<br />
Our area is full of older drafty houses that were built<br />
before energy efficiency was a common practice. These<br />
structures are usually home to our low-income neighbors<br />
who can’t afford to invest the funds to improve their<br />
energy efficiency. Many are forced to choose between<br />
paying for groceries, rent, medicine or paying high utility<br />
bills every month. <strong>ESC</strong>’s Weatherization program lowers<br />
energy bills, improves health and safety, and enables our<br />
low-income neighbors to enjoy a better quality of life.<br />
We are supported by local, state and federal funds<br />
from the MO Department of Energy, MO Department<br />
of Economic Development Division of Energy Center,<br />
Spire, Liberty Utilities and Low-Income Home Energy<br />
Assistance Program. Bundling the Low-Income<br />
Weatherization Assistance Program with these partners<br />
enables us to provide a more robust program.<br />
One Way of Thanking A Veteran<br />
for His Service to This Country!<br />
Leon and Charlene applied for Weatherization in<br />
the hopes of saving some money on their energy<br />
bills and making their home more comfortable.<br />
<strong>ESC</strong> was able to bundle other services to provide<br />
Weatherproofing to their home.<br />
The couple was no longer able to perform<br />
maintenance on their home, built in 1884. We<br />
were excited to be able to assist this Disabled<br />
Veteran who bravely served our country. Thanks<br />
to our utility partnership with Liberty Utilities, we<br />
were able to make some much needed repairs<br />
that otherwise would have made Leon and<br />
Charlene’s home ineligible for Weatherization.<br />
Our Liberty Utilities contributed $9,114 to help<br />
Weatherize this home. It allowed us to replace<br />
a window, repair the back portion of the roof,<br />
install some sheetrock in a room, and upgrade<br />
the electrical service for safety.<br />
Leon and Charlene’s home had no heating system,<br />
so we installed an energy efficient heat pump.<br />
We replaced the front door with an insulated all<br />
weather steel door, installed a carbon monoxide<br />
detector, smoke detector, a dryer vent hood, and<br />
LED light bulbs. We wrapped their water lines<br />
with pipe wrap and repaired holes in the walls<br />
and ceiling. We installed a vapor barrier in the<br />
crawl space and floor insulation. We glazed all of<br />
the windows and replaced 16 pieces of broken<br />
glass. Through the bundling of resources which<br />
included, Missouri Department of Energy and<br />
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program<br />
grants, Leon and Charlene are now enjoying a<br />
safer and more energy efficient home.<br />
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