Eva Resnick-Day, eva.resnick-day@sierraclub.org
Stephanie Steinbrecher, stephanie.steinbrecher@sierraclub.org
PITTSBURGH, PA - On Saturday, May 12, the Grassroots Green Homes initiative will officially kick-off in the Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh, helping residents reduce energy burdens by increasing energy efficiency in their homes.
The program, established by Conservation Consultants Inc. (CCI), supports Pittsburgh residents in adopting energy efficiency and health & safety measures for their homes. By signing renters and homeowners onto a yearlong free program, CCI helps residents work within their community to lower energy bills and improve energy efficiency.
In 2016, Grassroots Green Homes helped lower electric and gas usage by an average of 15% for renters and homeowners in Oakland and Uptown.
“We are thrilled to be bringing this program to Homewood through a grant from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency. The first round of Grassroots Green Homes had a lot of positive impact on home health and energy efficiency, and we’re expecting great things in our second round.” said Alison Steele, Director of Community Programs and Advocacy at CCI. “We’ve learned how crucial it is to have a committed community partner in a program like this, and Operation Better Block is just that. There has been a lot of excitement around our work since we started recruiting earlier this year, and a lot of that is thanks to the trust that people in the neighborhood have for OBB.”
“As a resident of Homewood I am pleased to give my support to Grassroots Green Homes. This is a much-needed program for Homewood due to higher utility costs for weather and energy insufficient homes,” said Shawn Dalton, OnePA volunteer and board member. “We look forward to the growth of Grassroots Green Homes and it’s ability to meet both Homewood and eventually all of Pittsburgh’s Urban area needs.”
“It has been such a pleasure to partner with the Grassroots Green Homes initiative. They have diligently been connecting with Homewood residents that may otherwise not know how much they are indeed spending on their energy bills,” said Gabrielle DeMarchi, Community Development Coordinator at Operation Better Block. “I believe many people all over the City of Pittsburgh are under-educated about the energy-efficient solutions that Grassroots Green Homes goes on to provide with their toolkits and workshops, so it is a true honor that they are taking their time to work with Homewood residents on this opportunity.”
“I understand the energy burden that so many families experience first-hand--this winter it cost an average of $300 to $400 each month to heat my home,” said Kelsey Salerno, volunteer with Sierra Club’s Ready for 100 campaign. “It’s been amazing meeting residents in Homewood who have such positive responses to the program.”
Pittsburgh has one of the highest energy burdens for low-income households of any city in the US. Nationally, 3.5 percent of a family’s income is spent on energy utilities. In Pittsburgh, that number is 9.5 percent; over a quarter of low-income families pay 16 percent of their income on energy bills. This is money that could be spent towards putting food on the table, healthcare, and education.
Over the past few months, Sierra Club Ready for 100 and One PA supported CCI’s launch of the program in Homewood by increasing the number of homes the Grassroots Green Homes Program reaches through canvassing, community outreach, community events and phone-banking. To date, nearly 300 homes have signed on to participate in the program in 2018.
The first Homewood Grassroots Green Homes event will be on May 12 from 12 to 3 p.m. at the Community College of Allegheny County Homewood-Brushton Center, located at 701 N. Homewood Ave.
A second event will be held May 16 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Homewood branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, 7101 Hamilton Ave.
The program will continue to take sign-ups at these events from Homewood residents. At the sessions, participants will receive training on the first two tools and tips. There will be five more events over the course of the year. For more information, visit http://www.getenergysmarter.org/community-projects.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.