JACKSONVILLE, Fla — More than $170,000 are now dedicated to help low-income families experiencing a cooling crisis in Jacksonville. City Council approved use of funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
“There are 3,000 families in Eastside. Maybe about 30% of those families or more don’t have central heat and air in their houses,” said Suzanne Pickett, the Historic Eastside Community Development Corporation president.
Pickett said some homes on Jacksonville’s Eastside were built back in the 1800s. She said these bungalow style homes and row homes are still lacking modern amenities.
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“In the older homes there’s an issue of insulation in the homes or weatherization or old windows and doors that have cracks in them,” Pickett said.
With the recent hot summer temperatures, Pickett said it’s particularly hard on older residents.
Tuesday night at City Hall, city leaders put $172,477 toward that specific issue.
Supplemental grant funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 will be used to provide home energy assistance to eligible low-income households with at least one member aged 60 or older.
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The aid will be in an amount that does not exceed $5,000 per household.
Historic Eastside CDC Vice President Iris Moody said this grant money is exactly what Eastside residents need, but the particular amount only scratches the surface.
“This is a real issue and we have a lot of families that need this assistance. So it’s a start, a positive start, but we would definitely need more funders and more money allocated to it to really alleviate this problem,” Moody said.
According to the ordinance, assistance may be used for utility bill payments, repairs or replacements of heating/cooling equipment, the purchase of fans, or temporary emergency shelter assistance.
Organizations like Lift Jax have already been doing similar work on the Eastside through its restore and repair program.
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Recently, workers assisted a 93-year-old woman.
“We were able to go in, put a new AC unit in. We were able to put new flooring in,” Moody said.
According to the Historic Eastside CDC, older adults are more prone to heat stress, and according to a study from the University of Florida, Duval County is one of the top 10 counties with the most heat-related deaths from 2010 to 2020.
That’s why any money toward the issue helps, but Pickett said it’s only the start.
“I think it’s a great start for those resources. With the amount of homes that we have, I’m hoping that we can get more partners or they’ll be able to allocate more so we can ... assist these homeowners,” Pickett said.
The City of Jacksonville provided Action News Jax with this statement: “While the funds in the ordinance were provided to assist seniors who have been affected by COVID, the Emergency Home Energy Assistance Program provides assistance to all low-income seniors over the age of 60 who are experiencing an energy crisis. Seniors are asked to provide proof of income, identification and their social security card and payment is made directly to JEA or other energy provider. For more information, seniors are encouraged to contact the EHEAP Program by calling 904-630-2489.”
You can read the bill summary below.
2022-407 Bill Summary by ActionNewsJax on Scribd
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