JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The City of Jacksonville, LIFT JAX and JEA held a press conference Thursday morning to celebrate a partnership to bring energy-efficient repairs to Eastside homes.
LIFT JAX and the Historic Eastside Community Development Corporation (HECDC) created the Restore & Repair program a couple of years ago to help Eastside homeowners make necessary repairs, especially to homes where many families have lived for generations.
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“We identify homeowners who have faced hardships that may have hindered their ability to make those necessary repairs,” David Garfunkel, President/CEO of LIFT JAX, said.
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So far, the program has successfully renovated more than 50 homes. The renovations have included new porches and roofs, ceiling repairs, new HVAC systems, bathroom improvements and more, officials said.
JEA recently joined the program to help with additional repairs to reduce energy and water consumption — therefore, reducing the homeowners’ utility bills.
So far, JEA has helped 15 homes with energy-efficient repairs. But that number will soon increase thanks to a $845,350 energy efficiency grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, officials said Thursday.
With that grant, Mayor Donna Deegan said they hope to upgrade 76 homes.
“The upgrades will mean more affordable utility bills for families, which in turn will hopefully lead to fewer families being displaced or forced to sell to outside investors,” Deegan said. “Beyond affordability, the work made available by this grant will reduce home’s energy use and decrease carbon emissions as well into the air which improves the environment and improves community health.”
According to Chief Customer Officer of JEA, Sheila Pressley, the goal is to achieve a minimum of 10 to 15% reduction of overall utility bills for homeowners.
“It’s about investing in our future,” Pressley said. “Our repair, restore and resiliency project is not just about reducing energy consumption but about improving the health, safety and well-being for the people that live here.”
If you want to learn more about the Restore & Repair program visit this website.