Oregon and questionable weatherization funded projects

Oregon and questionable weatherization funded projects
Oregon Housing and Community Services
Victor Merced Morales Flores y Jimenez approves $29,220 weatherization for 12 apartments built in 1972 “Eligible weatherization activities includes:  Windows, sliders, doors, refrigerators, clothes washers, heat pump system, air conditioning, water heaters, lighting.”. So in December of 2009 when massive economic problems hit Oregon, Victor Merced Morales Flores y Jimenez appropriated over $29,000 in  weatherization funds for a “sweetheart deal” when it was needed to keep regular folks from getting their heat turned off. The “sweetheart deal” for one “investment group”. If pictures don’t show up in bottom of this post download
http://www.rea.state.or.us/OHCS/OSHC/docs/Packet.December182009.pdf.pdf   download pdf to see how little actual money was put up by developer for this “sweetheart deal”.

link to post with in-line scanned pages of partial pdf
http://community.kmtr.com/forums/post/4330015.aspx


One year over 1 million dollars of HOME TBA funds were returned to Federal Government, why? When I asked Jodie Jones of Oregon Housing and Community Services about returned HOME TBA funds she replied, “Our not for profits can’t make enough money off that program.”

HOME TBA subsidy $5,760 year per family, $1,000,000 would have provided rent help for 174 families.

The way Oregon is providing weatherization has a catch. If the house was built before a certain date, if any paint is cut or sanded they “assume” that it has lead paint and they have to encase the whole structure in a “ET type” containment bubble and treat the job site as a toxic hazard zone. Result is no weatherization for the homes that need it the most. I asked for funds to just install plastic sheeting to outside windows, answer, “We can not do that”. So I went to a mattress store and procured some mattress shipping bags and installed them myself. I told local community action about how that resource along with a boat dealer’s excess 6 X 4 Styrofoam shipping material could be used to make waterproof “Oregon Igloos”. I hope someone passes this information on to people that can use this technique this winter.