HOUSING WITH PEACE INC., HIGHLIGHTING THEIR WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM.

THESE INITIATIVES ASSIST LOW-INCOME HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS WITH ENERGY CONSERVATION MEASURES, LIKE WEATHERIZATION.

TO HELP INDIVIDUALS LOWER THEIR ENERGY EXPENSES AND MAKE THEIR HOMES MORE AFFORDABLE.

TAKE A LOOK.

>> PEACE INCORPORATED IS THE SONGT COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY.

WE-- ONONDAGA COUNTY COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY.

WE COVER ONONDAGA AND OSWEGO COUNTY.

WE ARE CONSIDERED A DUAL COUNTY AGENCY.

WEATHERIZATION IS FEDERALLY FUNDED.

WE GET FUNDING FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AS WELL AS A LOW INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

OUR BUDGET IS $2.6 MILLION THIS YEAR AND WE SPEND APPROXIMATELY AN AVERAGE COST PER UNIT OF $8200.

OWNERS AND RENTERS ARE ELIGIBLE.

YOU HAVE TO BE HEAP ELIGIBLE WHICH IS 60% OF THE STATE MEDIAN INCOME.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE RECEIVING IT BUT YOU HAVE TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR IT.

ENERGY USE OFTEN COUNTS FOR APPROXIMATELY 30% OF LOW INCOME'S EXPENSES IN THE HOUSEHOLD, SO ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO REDUCE THAT, THAT'S MONEY THEY HAVE NOW TO PUT TOWARDS OTHER BILLS, PUT TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR THEIR CHILDREN, THINGS LIKE THAT.

WHEN WE ARE HIRING A CREW MEMBER, OUR INTERVIEW PROCESS ALSO IS CONSIDERING WILL THIS PERSON BE ABLE TO MOVE UP IN THE PROGRAM AND BECOME A CREW LEADER AND THEN POTENTIALLY BECOME AN ENERGY AUDITOR.

WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE NEW YORK STATE WEATHERIZATION DIRECTOR'S ASSOCIATION AND THE TRAINING THEY HAVE MULTIPLE TRAININGS AND CERTIFICATIONS THAT WE SEND OUR EMPLOYEES TO.

PEACE INCORPORATED COVERS ALL TRAINING EXPENSES THROUGH THE WEATHERIZATION GRANT.

RIGHT NOW WE HAVE TWO OF OUR NEW EMPLOYEES OUT WHAT THE WE CALL THE WEATHERIZATION BOOT CAMP.

NO PUSHUPS ARE NEEDED BUT IT'S A FOUR-DAY VERY INTENSIVE TRAINING WHERE THEY LEARN NOT ONLY WHAT WE DO BUT WHY WE DO IT.

SO WHEN OUR AUDITORS GO OUT TO DO THE ENERGY ASSESSMENT, FOR INCOME ELIGIBLE OWNERS, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO COST FOR IT.

THERE IS NO COST FOR TENANTS WHATSOEVER FOR OWNERS OF A MULTIFAMILY HOME, THEY DO HAVE TO PAY 25% OF THE COST BUT IT'S OUR ACTUAL COST.

THERE IS NO MARKUP WE DON'T MAKE A PROFIT.

PEACE INCORPORATED HAS WEATHERIZED THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF HOMES SINCE ITS BEGINNING DURING BACK FROM 2009-2012, WE DID APPROXIMATELY 5,000 UNITS.

BUT THAT INCLUDES, SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES AS WELL AS APARTMENT COMPLEXES.

SO OUR UNIT GOAL IS APPROXIMATELY 296 UNITS A YEAR.

WE TRY TO ACHIEVE THE WEATHERIZATION PRODUCTION GOAL BY NOT ONLY HAVING OUR CREWS GO OUT TO THE HOMES BUT WE USE SUBCONTRACTORS ON OUR MULTIFAMILY HOMES.

THEY CAN GO OUT AND INSULATE THE HUGE ATTICS OF AN APARTMENT COMPLEX OR, YOU KNOW, DO BOILER REPLACEMENTS, THERMOSTATIC RADIATOR VALVES, THINGS LIKE THAT, WHILE OUR CREWS FOCUS ON THE ONE TO FOUR FAMILIES.

THE FUTURE OF THE WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM IS GOING TO CONTINUOUSLY EXPAND WITH SO MANY INITIATIVES THAT ARE OUT THERE TO REDUCE CARBON, THE AIR SOURCE AND GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMPS ARE BECOMING VERY, VERY POPULAR AND I KNOW THAT MANY STATES, INCLUDING NEW YORK, ARE TRYING TO BECOME FULLY ELECTRIC.

WE'VE GOT A LONG WAYS TO GO BEFORE THAT HAPPENS.

BUT THE IMPORTANT PART IS YOU CAN PUT IN A HEAT PUMP WHETHER IT'S GROUND SOURCE OR AIR SOURCE.

BUT IF THAT HOME IS NOT WEATHERIZED TO THE UTMOST OF OUR ABILITY, THEN THOSE HEAT PUMPS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE HEAT THAT IS NEEDED, ESPECIALLY