The City of San Diego recently awarded a $2.5 million grant through the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG), allowing four local nonprofits to conduct sustainability-focused home repairs for low-income homeowners in the region. GRID Alternatives San Diego, the lead agency on the application, along with Habitat for Humanity San Diego, Rebuilding Together San Diego, and Urban Corps of San Diego County, bring nearly 90 combined years of experience providing services to low-income households. Their experience is diverse, ranging from installing solar on rooftops and job training for youth to building affordable housing and performing minor and major home rehabilitation. “We are thrilled our proposal was successful,” says Paul Cleary, executive director of GRID Alternatives San Diego. “We are looking forward to working closely with our partners and the City of San Diego to deliver important sustainability upgrades to low-income homeowners.” The Single-Family Home Rehabilitation Program via the CDBG is a new collaboration with a focus on environmentally sustainable upgrades. Low-income homeowners could be eligible for a suite of no-cost home improvements including, but not limited to, high-performance doors and windows; eco-friendly roofs; solar panel installation; effective insulation systems; water leak repairs; efficient heating and cooling; Energy Star-certified lighting; water-wise faucets, shower heads, and toilets; and front-yard xeriscaping.
The program will launch in July 2019 serving low-income homeowners who reside within the City of San Diego. Community members interested in the program can call 866-921-4696 for more information.