| Housing Partnership Program |
The Housing Partnership Program supports the efficient use of energy in low to moderate income housing through training and technical assistance and through the establishment of partnerships among non-profit organizations, community action agencies, local governments, utility companies, public housing authorities and social service-related organizations. The program encourages community and residential involvement in energy efficiency projects such as housing retrofits, model demonstration projects, technical training assistance and energy education workshops and seminars. The program works with builders and design teams to use energy design concepts and technology and supports Texas colonia in in using energy efficiency measures and technologies in new and retrofit construction.
Services for Individual Assistance
If you are a private homeowner seeking assistance, visit this Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) web page, which offers guidelines for eligibility for energy assistance programs, weatherization and utility bill assistance. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and weatherization programs are available in each of the 254 Texas counties.
 The Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) helps low-income Texans, particularly the elderly and persons with special needs control energy costs to ensure a healthy and safe living environment. The WAP funds the installation of weatherization materials and provides energy conservation education.
The WAP Technical Assistance Center provides guidance for program operations and fosters community partnerships to advance weatherization.
Texas Low-Income Assistance Programs 
NOTE: How to contact the LIHEAP director in Texas
To inquire about Low-Income Heating Energy Assistance Program ( LIHEAP) assistance, the general public should use the public inquiry telephone number if available for their State. That number may provide the public with information about the State's program much quicker than the LIHEAP agency number. Further information about a State's LIHEAP program can be obtained from State LIHEAP web sites where available.
Texas LIHEAP Assistance
Ms. Amy Oehler, Program Manager
Energy Assistance Section, Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs P.O. Box 13941 Austin, Texas 78711-3941
(512) 475-3864; FAX: (512) 475-3935
E-mail: amy.oehler@tdhca.state.tx.us
Web site: www.tdhca.state.tx.us/ea.htm
Public Inquiries: 1-877-399-8939
Lite Up Texas: 1-866-454-8387
Public Utility Commission Complaints: 1-888-782-8477.
DOE's Weatherization Assistance Program
DOE's Weatherization Assistance Program
The U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program enables low-income families to permanently reduce their energy bills by making their homes more energy efficient. It is this country's longest running, and perhaps most successful energy efficiency program. During the last 30 years, the U.S. Department of Energy 's (DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program has provided weatherization services to more than 5.5 million low-income families. On average, weatherization reduces heating bills by 31% and overall energy bills by $358 per year at current prices.
How Do I Apply for Weatherization?
At this U.S. Department of Energy web site, it is easy to find out if you are eligible for weatherization. Usually you can apply for it at a weatherization agency near your home. Services are provided by the states, and each state has slightly different criteria. All energy services are handled by local weatherization agencies. One of the primary factors affecting eligibility is income.
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Current Projects
Energy Performance Contracting Workshop for Public Housing Authorities
This 3-day, in depth workshop will provide Public Housing Authorities step-by-step active-learning exercises to train them in each phase of executing an Energy Savings Performance Contract. Some of the topics that will be addressed include: How to develop an RFP for an Energy Performance Contract, How to evaluate responses to the RFP, How to Prepare for the Oral interviews, How Energy Performance Contracts Can Solve Maintenance Problems, Understanding Project Financials, The role of Resident Education in Energy Performance Contracting, Creating Healthy Housing with Energy Performance Contracting, Reviewing Energy Performance Contract Audits, Negotiating EPC Contracts, and Monitoring Project Savings Performance.
It is our hope that the Public Housing Authorities who attend this training will leave with the confidence to enter into the performance contracting process and begin decreasing the energy consumption of their facilities. This training will be conducted by David Birr (President of Synchronous Energy Solutions and owner's rep).
Affordable Energy Star Homes
SECO will partner with The University of Texas at El Paso to provide access to affordable Energy Star homes, appliances, and information for low-income and colonia families. This project ensures that 125 homes will be built to meet or beat Energy Star requirements; 100 Energy Star appliances will be made available to low-income residents; 24 workshops on energy efficiency will be developed and provided to residents in the El Paso area including the colonias; and 10 fact sheets on energy efficiency and a Builders Guide Book to Energy Efficiency will be produced and published.
Fact Sheets - Energy Efficiency Building Techniques
These brochures were produced by the University of Texas at El Paso
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Completed Projects
Energy Performance Contracting Training for Public Housing Authorities
This free training which was given in Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio provided Public Housing Authorities the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of how energy performance contracting could benefit their complexes. As a result of these workshops 20 or more PHA's are likely to invest 80-100 million dollars over the next three years for energy-related capital improvements. Read more...
PowerPoint Presentations
Housing Trust Fund
In this project SECO partnered with the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs' (TDHCA) Housing Trust Fund Program to increase the energy efficiency of new and rehabilitated multi and single-family housing for low to moderate-income persons and families. The Housing Trust Fund Program is the only state-authorized project dedicated to the development of affordable housing, providing loans to finance, acquire, rehabilitate and develop affordable housing for low and very low-income persons and families.
SECO provided funds to ensure that energy-efficient design and appliances were incorporated into the new construction. SECO provided funding through grants that required the housing construction to exceed the Model Energy Code of 1992 and 1995. The partnership between TDHCA and SECO assisted more than 950 low-income families throughout Texas. Low-income Texas families living in multi-family housing units are benefiting from decreased energy bills due to energy retrofits.
The units were retrofitted with energy-saving measures, including: ceiling fans in living rooms and bedrooms; insulation for walls and ceilings at or beyond minimum code requirements; 12 SEER air conditioning systems with all joints and connections completely sealed using duct-joint mastic; low-E windows; boilers; evaporative cooling units; programmable thermostats; and water heaters, appliances and residential light fixtures that qualify for the U.S. EPA and the Energy Star label.
Final Report
Final Report, Exhibit A
Final Report, Exhibit B
Alamo Area Council of Governments
In this project SECO partnered with the Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG) to assist the Karnes City and Devine public housing authorities. Over 100 units received comprehensive energy audits to determine what measures needed to be taken to increase the energy efficiency of the complexes. AACOG monitored the installation of weatherization measures approved by SECO and deemed necessary by the comprehensive energy audits.
Based upon the findings of the completed energy audits the following measures were installed or replaced to increase energy efficiency: Insulation for walls and ceilings at or beyond minimum code requirements; 13 SEER air conditioning systems with all joints and connections completely sealed; and appliances that meet or exceed DOE guidelines. Tenants living in these complexes also received educational materials that are assisting them in reducing energy consumption with their newly installed energy efficient technologies.
Edgewood Housing Authority
SECO assisted the Edgewood Housing Authority in replacing old single pane windows in 50 low-income housing units with new energy-efficient, double pane, thermal break metal frame windows. These windows will help provide added comfort and lower utility bills for these residents.
Rising Star Housing Authority
SECO assisted the Rising Star Housing Authority in replacing outdated furnaces with 12 SEER central A/C pumps for 22 of their multi-family units. These new units help provide added comfort and lower utility bills for these residents. See photos.
National Affordable Housing Network (Dallas, Texas)
SECO sponsored the National Affordable Housing Network (NAHN) who partnered with Habitat for Humanity affiliates across the state - Abilene, Bryan, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston (Bay Area), Longview, and San Antonio - to construct and study the design and construction of 50 homes to improve energy efficiency. Additionally, the NAHN installed energy efficient measures that are appropriate to the climates in which the houses were built. To track the energy consumption, six houses received enhanced measurement systems. The other 44 houses were supplied with sub metering units that served to validate the data collected in the six enhanced houses. Of the 50 houses built 40, were for the Habitat for Humanity and 10 were for the Center for Housing Resources.
American Institute for Learning
Under the Green Equity project, the American Institute for Learning (AIL) developed a training manual and video that outline the building methods used in its Casa Verde building model. The SECO-funded Green Equity training materials are an important component of AIL's technical assistance and training program for Texas YouthWorks, a statewide program that replicates the Casa Verde Builders model of working with at-risk youth to build energy efficient, low-income housing. AIL has expanded the manual to include instructions for adapting the materials and techniques for the production of energy efficient homes in the seven Texas climatic regions.
The University of Texas at El Paso (Sparks Colonia)
In this project SECO sponsored the University of Texas at El Paso to partner with a developer to construct passive solar homes in the El Paso Hills subdivision along the Sparks Colonia. These homes are highly energy efficient and should have monthly utility bills below $60. The homes were constructed by high school students of the Upper Rio Grande Tech Prep Consortium, which allowed students to gain real-world work experience. With funding assistance also from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, the energy-efficient homes have mortgages that average around $200 per month.
UTEP also partnered with the Greater El Paso Housing Development Corporation to construct 60 energy-efficient homes in the Pecan Grove subdivision. The homes targeted low to moderate-income buyers. The affordable quality homes utilize energy efficient measures that should lower the utility bills for the first-time homeowners, thereby reducing their monthly expenditures and increasing the likelihood that they will be able to maintain their mortgage notes. The passive solar homes were built for a lifetime of affordability. It is anticipated that the annual utility costs for each home will be below $600.
Energy-Efficient Housing Demonstration
The Energy Efficient Housing Demonstration initiative encourages community and residential involvement in energy efficiency projects such as housing retrofits, model demonstration projects, technical training assistance, and energy education workshops and seminars. Through a competitive bid process, several projects have demonstrated the cost-effective use of energy efficiency in residential housing since 1997. Many of the project activities and results can be replicated across Texas. The projects cover a range of activities:
- energy efficient design and building methods,
- metering/monitoring of household energy consumption,
- builder/homeowner training,
- energy efficient appliances, and
- passive solar design/measures.
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Energy Performance Contracting for Texas Public Housing Authorities
SECO held a workshop on October 3-5, 2006 for public housing authorities. These were the workshop highlights:
- Introduction to Performance Contracting in Public Housing
- HUD's Energy Incentives and Project Financing
- Typical Scope of Public Housing Authority Performance Contracts
- Overview of the EPC Procurement Process
- Evaluating Project Feasibility
- Aggregation of Public Housing Authorities for a performance contract.
- Measuring and Managing Project Performance
- Case Studies
The following documents pertain to the workshop:
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