KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As winter approaches, a Kansas City-based community organization is helping residents weatherize their homes.
Beverly Absher has lived in her Liberty home for over 30 years. She said it needs some upgrades.
“They need caulking, they need the screws tighten in them,” she said of her windows. “I need a windowpane. It’s broken; I have cardboard there.”
Cardboard and towels have been her method to keep cold air out, but with winter coming, she’s looking for a more permanent solution.
Her search for a fix led her to the Community Action Agency of Greater Kansas City's low-income weatherization assistance program.
“Our goal is to make homes more energy efficient, make them healthy,” said Julia Powell, outreach specialist at the agency. “Especially for those that are more susceptible to the extreme or the extreme cold.”
The weatherization assistance program provides homeowners and renters with cost-effective home improvements free of charge.
“We all need help from time to time,” Powell said. “And that’s why we exist ... to help people when they are going through these times, whether it's short-term or long-term.”
Shirley Audrey attended an informational meeting Monday that was put on by the agency to explain the weatherization program.
“We’ve been talking about needing a program to help us because we can’t afford to get anything done," she said. "So, going to see if they can help us.”
Unlike some assistance programs, the Community Action Agency of Greater Kansas City's program is year-round. Still, Powell said it is crucial to apply now.
“Come January and February — when temperatures are going to drop extremely, when we start getting those snow and ice storms — you want to make sure that your furnace is in proper working order," Powell said. "You want to make sure that your house is properly insulated so that you’re not losing that heat.”
The program is income-based for residents in Jackson, Platte and Clay counties.
You can learn more online here.
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