Announcement of FY 2007 grant awards under the
Residential Energy Assistance Challenge Program
(REACH)
THIS CONTAINS INFORMATION ISSUED BY THE U.S. ADMINISTRATION FOR
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN LIHEAP INFORMATION MEMORANDUM TRANSMITTAL
NO. LIHEAP-IM-2007-9, DATED 8/13/07
TO: LOW INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (LIHEAP)
GRANTEES AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES
SUBJECT: Announcement of FY 2007 grant awards under the
Residential Energy Assistance Challenge Program
(REACH)
RELATED
REFERENCES: The Revised Continuing Appropriations Resolution,
2007 (Public Law 110-5); the Low-Income Home
Energy Assistance Act, Title XXVI of the Omnibus
Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 (Public Law 97-
35), as amended; LIHEAP-AT-2007-2, dated April 30,
2007, for the Residential Energy Assistance
Challenge Program (REACH).
PURPOSE: To advise grantees that grant awards totaling
$1.135 million were made to two (2) States, four
(4) Tribes, and one (1) Insular Area under the
Residential Energy Assistance Challenge Program
(REACH) for FY 2007.
BACKGROUND: The Human Services Amendments of 1994 (Public Law
103-252) added a new Section 2607B to the LIHEAP
statute, establishing a new Residential Energy
Assistance Challenge Program (REACH), funded for
the first time in FY 1996. REACH is designed to
help low income households reduce their energy
vulnerability, and the funds are available only
to LIHEAP grantees (States, Tribes/Tribal
organizations and Insular Areas).
In FY 2007, $27,225,000 was set aside for
leveraging incentive and REACH grant awards. Of
this amount, $1.5 million was earmarked for REACH
grants.
On April 30, 2007, OCS issued Action Transmittal
(AT) LIHEAP-AT-2007-02 to inform LIHEAP grantees
that applications were being accepted for the
REACH program, and that significant changes were
being implemented in the program design and
application requirements for REACH funds in FY
2007. Eligible LIHEAP grantees that wished to
obtain REACH grants were required to submit
applications to be received by HHS no later than
June 1, 2007. The AT provided that up to $1.5
million would be set aside for a limited number
of REACH awards.
In addition, LIHEAP-AT-2007-02 outlined several
changes to REACH, including the provision for one
year REACH programs and the reduction in award
levels from previous years. Under the new rules,
States could receive up to $300,000, and Tribes/
Tribal Organizations and Insular Areas could
receive up to $50,000. In addition, successful
applicants that submitted Energy Efficiency
Education Services (EEES) plans would be
considered for additional monies, with States
able to receive up to $35,000 and Tribes/Tribal
Organizations and Insular Areas up to $10,000.
In order to be considered for REACH, applicants
had to submit complete applications that complied
with the new instructions for FY 2007, were
innovative, and focused on health and safety
initiatives for vulnerable households.
CONTENT: REACH applications were received in a timely
manner from eight (8) States, fourteen (14) Tribes
and two (2) Insular Areas. We awarded a total of
$1.135 million in REACH funds to two (2) States,
four (4) Tribes and one (1) Insular Area.
Attached is a listing of the grantees funded in
FY 2007 under the REACH program. Both State
grantees qualified to receive an additional
$35,000 under the EEES program. In addition,
three (3) Tribal grantees and the Insular Area
qualified to receive additional funds to operate
EEES programs. Each FY 2007 REACH grantee will
receive an official notification letter that will
detail new reporting requirements on the use of
these funds.
Funds were issued to cover administrative costs
for States that requested them for their FY 2006
and FY 2005 REACH programs. These states received
up to 2.5% of their original grant amount for the
second and third years of their three-year
projects, in the total amounts of $100,000 for FY
2006 and $75,000 for FY 2005. (In FY 2008, we
will fulfill the administrative cost commitment
made to FY 2006 States under the previous rules,
but note that the provision for REACH
administrative costs will discontinue beginning
with the FY 2009 program.)
The remaining portion from the $1.5 million REACH
set-aside was returned to the leveraging incentive
program. Please refer to LIHEAP-IM-2007-8, dated
August 10, 2007, for more information on FY 2007
leveraging awards.
INQUIRIES TO: Ms. Charlotte Abney
Energy Assistance Program Specialist
Division of Energy Assistance
Office of Community Services, ACF, HHS
370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20447
Telephone: (202) 401-5334
Fax: (202) 401-5661
ATTACHMENTS: (1) Listing of FY 2007 grantees and funding
amounts under the REACH program
(2) Summary descriptions of FY 2007
REACH programs
______________/s_____________
Nick St. Angelo
Director
Division of Energy Assistance
Office of Community Services
Attachment 1
FY 2007
RESIDENTIAL ENERGY ASSISTANCE CHALLENGE PROGRAM
(REACH)
LIST OF FY 2007 GRANTEES
STATES ($670,000) GRANT EES TOTAL
AMOUNT FUNDS AWARDED
Michigan $ 300,000 $ 35,000 $ 335,000
Nebraska $ 300,000 $ 35,000 $ 335,000
TRIBES ($230,000) GRANT EES TOTAL
AMOUNT FUNDS AWARDED
Karuk Tribe (California) $ 50,000 ---- $ 50,000
Grand Traverse (Michigan) $ 50,000 $ 10,000 $ 60,000
Pueblo of Jemez (New Mexico) $ 50,000 $ 10,000 $ 60,000
Tulalip Tribe (Washington) $ 50,000 $ 10,000 $ 60,000
INSULAR AREAS ($60,000) GRANT EEES TOTAL
AMOUNT FUNDS AWARDED
Northern Mariana Islands $ 50,000 $ 10,000 $ 60,000
TOTAL, FY 2007 REACH GRANTS $ 960,000
Administrative Cost Grants $ 175,000
(2-1/2 percent of original grant amount, excluding any EEES
portion)
FY 2006 FY 2005
District of Columbia $ 25,000 Maine $ 25,000
Illinois $ 25,000 Massachusetts $ 25,000
Montana $ 25,000 Rhode Island $ 25,000
Ohio $ 25,000
FY 2006 Total $100,000 FY 2005 Total $ 75,000
TOTAL, ALL FY 2007 REACH FUNDS $ 1,135,000
Attachment 2
Summary of FY 2007 REACH Programs
States
Michigan
(CBO - Three agencies to be selected)
The state is proposing to use REACH dollars to establish the
"Michigan Working for Intelligent Safe Energy (WISE)" initiative,
which will award REACH and EEES funds to three qualifying
agencies that will administer Michigan WISE locally. WISE will
target elderly and young children households, as well as higher
energy burden households, and provide comprehensive case
management and support services necessary to address energy-
related health and safety issues. The WISE grantees will work
with the local utilities to identify target households. A major
effort will be made to address the lack of heat or unsafe heating
methods as it contributes to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
The state WISE programs will collaborate with Tomorrow's Child
(previously known as the Michigan SIDS Alliance) on a public
information campaign promoting safe sleep habits and training to
participating WISE households with infants.
Nebraska
(CBO - Lincoln Action Program)
Nebraska wants to implement a program that will provide families
with education on the health risks associated with poor indoor
air quality, and materials to make simple inexpensive, yet
effective improvements in their homes that also increase energy
efficiency. The Lincoln Action Program will work with the
Lincoln Area Agency on Aging and the Early Head Start/Head Start
Programs to identify and target assistance to elderly and small
children households with residents that suffer from asthma,
allergies, or other upper respiratory illnesses. Under EEES, the
agency will provide a Kids REACH initiative for children in
grades K through 5. The "Working Together as a Family to Make a
Difference" curriculum will teach kids about energy conservation
and promote healthy, safe options for energy efficiency through
education and family practice.
Tribes
Karuk Tribe (California)
The tribe plans to work with elementary school children to
educate them on energy safety and conservation. This effort
includes the development of a coloring book designed to teach
young students about the importance of residential energy
conservation. The Junction Elementary School will work with
participating students and their families to develop an
individual "residential energy conservation plan" that includes
health and safety features, with guidance from LIHEAP and the
Karuk Housing Authority. An additional effort is being made to
reach out to tribal elders to educate them on the proper use of
space heaters and electric blankets, the annual cleaning of swamp
coolers, and ways to maintain health and comfort in the home
while conserving energy.
Grand Traverse Band (Michigan)
The primary focus of the tribe's REACH program will be the
prevention of carbon monoxide poisoning. As the price of home
heating surges, tribal members seek low cost alternatives to heat
their homes, which often pose safety risks such as fire and
personal injury. The tribe will provide outreach to tribal
elders on carbon monoxide hazards, as well as services to detect
possible carbon monoxide risks. The benefits and services will
include heating equipment, chimney inspections and cleanings,
inspection of wood burning stoves, and identification of
ventilation problems in the selected homes.
Pueblo of Jemez (New Mexico)
Most tribal members depend upon unsafe means to heat their homes,
such as basic wood burning and fossil fuels like propane. The
tribe's proposal will focus on educating its members about newer
renewable energy-efficient alternatives for heating and/or
cooling their homes, and new technologies that will target
vulnerable households (elderly, disabled and young children).
The tribe will outfit 2 homes with model systems-one with a
pellet fuel appliance (stove) and evaporative air-conditioning
(EAC) system; the other will have a geothermal heat pump system
installed for year round climate control. The intent is to
compare the savings and efficiencies of both systems, demonstrate
reduction in energy crises and costs to the selected households
from their previous heating/cooling methods, and put forth an
active outreach campaign to publicize the expected, positive
results from this testing.
Tulalip Tribe (Washington)
The tribe plans to install heat pumps for those low income
households living on the reservation and compromised by health
problems. Most tribal members use wood stoves as either their
primary or secondary heating source. Not only are these stoves
more than 20 years old in most cases, they also pose significant
and pervasive health risks associated with wood smoke. The heat
pumps are more safe and efficient, and the tribe will target the
assistance to vulnerable groups. As part of this REACH effort,
the tribe plans to provide all client homes with an energy
efficiency assessment and health and safety information, and will
provide heat pumps to those households facing the most serious
health hazards.
Insular Areas
Northern Mariana Islands
Northern Marianas will provide multiple initiatives under its
REACH program. Primarily, it will offer one-on-one client
counseling-this is particularly important because most elderly
are not well enough or have the means or the transportation to
physically come into the LIHEAP office. This proposal will
enable LIHEAP staff to conduct home visits to health challenged
clients, identify any home energy problems and educate them on
the risks to their health due to unsafe energy use. In addition,
Northern Marianas will conduct health and safety workshops in
collaboration with the Department of Public Health, and work with
its sole utility company to put on an Energy Fair with
information and various energy discounts for low income
households.
