Whether you need financial assistance with weather stripping or hiring a repair man to inspect your heater, the Illinois Home Weatherization Assistance Program, or IHWAP, may provide you with additional funding if you meet the program's income eligibility requirements. Applications must be made through the Crosswalk Community Action Agency, or Crosswalk CAA, which administers IHWAP grants from the Illinois Department of Healthcare & Family Services to residents in Franklin County.
Application
Applications to the IHWAP grant must be made in person through the crosswalk CAA, headquartered in Franklin County's West Frankfort. Crosswalk CAA administers IHWAP grants to residents in Franklin, Jefferson and Williamson Counties. The application date for the 2011 winter season began on March 8, 2010, but applications may be submitted since funding is available on a first-come, first-serve schedule. Appointments are necessary for the in-person application process and must be made by calling the Crosswalk CAA directly. Contact information is available online at the Crosswalk CAA website at crosswalkcaa.com.
Income Eligibility
Eligibility for the Franklin County IHWAP grant is based on a family's combined gross income, which must equal 200 percent of the federal poverty level or more. As of winter, 2011, the maximum gross income for a family of one, two, three, four, five and six may not exceed $21,780, $29,420, $37,060, $44,700, $52,340 and $59,980, respectively. For every extra family member, you must add $7,640.
Funding
If your family is eligible for a IHWAP grant, you may receive up to $7,500 in funding for weatherization repairs, including air sealing, attic and wall insulation, furnace repair or replacement, weatherization stripping on windows or doors and lighting or refrigerator electric base load reduction. You may also use the funding to hire an inspector or repair man to fix or replace any existing heating problems. Before the grant is awarded, an IHWAP inspector will determine the home's problem areas.
Other Options
Franklin County families that do not qualify for the IHWAP grant may apply for separate funding from the Ameren Illinois Warm Neighbors Cool Friends program, which provides weatherization and home heating bill help. Applicants are eligible if they are Ameren customers that earn an annual gross income of 150-200 percent of the federal poverty level. Applications may be made any time of year through Ameren, and contact information is available on Ameren's website at Ameren.com.
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