Weber County's low-income residents will have to look to Davis County for help in weatherproofing their homes after the local agency lost funding and personnel to perform the service.
"We have a grave concern that the citizens of Weber County are not receiving the quality and quantity of weatherization services that they both need and deserve," said Michael Johnson, director of housing and weatherization for the Utah Department of Community and Economic Development.In his April 16 letter to Don Carpenter, chairman of the Ogden Area Community Action Agency, Johnson said the agency's lack of resources to carry out the program won't change anytime soon.
"For this reason, the Tri-County Weatherization Program will be authorized by our office to provide concurrent weatherization services to Weber County," Johnson said.
Johnson's decision was the latest in a series of setbacks for the beleaguered OACAA, which has come under fire from federal officials for financial and administrative problems.
A $220,000 grant to fortify low-income housing against cold weather in Weber County is the agency's second-largest source of funding and was taken from the Ogden agency in December after an evaluation found the program was being poorly managed.
The move marks the third time in the 18-year history of the program that the state has terminated an agency's contracts.
The agency lost an appeal of the decision to yank the grant. But during the appeal process, two OACAA workers trained to perform tuneups on furnaces and final inspections quit, leaving the agency without sufficient staff, Johnson said.
Losing the $220,000 contract also cost OACAA access to a $200,000 statewide energy fund, which also funds weatherproofing programs for low income homeowners.