Ainsworth distributes funds for home energy upgrades

    The City of Ainsworth received a grant from the federal government to make four homes in the city more energy efficient. The city received $56,812 from the USDA Rural Development Housing Preservation Grant in January, and since then has been at work finding and disseminating the money to eligible families. The city contributed a 10 percent match to the project. 

    Ainsworth Mayor Dawn Stewart said the money goes strictly to making the homes energy efficient, and not to just any ordinary repair. She said the grant has paid for insulation, windows, doors, and upgrades to heating and cooling units.

    ?Every product that was installed had the energy star rating,? said Stewart. ?If you need something done, but it doesn?t improve energy efficiency of the house, it wasn?t considered.?

    The grant was given to households based partly on their income and partly on their need for energy-efficient items. Stewart said 12 households applied for the grant.

Fo rhte full story, see the Aug. 25 edition of The Washington Evening Journal