The Dedham Housing Authority has been awarded just over $700,000 in stimulus funds that will pay for new, more energy-efficient heating systems for families who live in its public housing developments on Parker Staples Road and Veterans Road.
Dedham’s grant is part of $7.06 in federal weatherization recovery funds that the Patrick administration announced last week would be spent at 19 housing authorities across Massachusetts to replace old heating systems with state-of-the-art units.
Dedham Housing Authority Executive Director Joanne Toomey said that when the energy-efficient systems are in place, it will cost tenants less to heat their apartments.
“This stimulus program is going to help the residents with their utility bills,” she said.
Toomey said systems will be replaced in families’ residences, because they pay for their own heat, but not in the apartments of the elderly, as the housing authority pays for their heat.
Her agency has 26 three-bedroom apartments on Parker Staples Road in Riverdale, and 20 three-bedroom apartments and 56 two-bedroom units on Veterans Road in East Dedham.
Announcing the stimulus spending last Thursday, the Patrick administration said the upgrades will result in lower energy costs for tenants at developments in Brockton, North Attleborough and Stoughton, among other places.
“We have invested stimulus funds in our people and our communities, ensuring that they enjoy immediate and long-term economic benefits from the Recovery Act,” said Gov. Deval Patrick. “These are smart, environmentally sound projects that will create jobs, improve the quality of our affordable housing stock and make life better for the people who live there.”
Toomey said the state cut local housing authority budgets by 4.7 percent in October – making this $702,800 grant “wonderful.”
“Luckily, these housing heating units won’t be coming out of our budget, which is great because we wouldn’t be able to do it,” she said.
Toomey said C. A. Crowley Engineering Inc. of Taunton has been on site in Dedham a few times to take measurements and the like, but she does not know yet when the replacement work will begin.
“Probably after the heating season, so there won’t be any interruption with people’s heat,” she said. “Probably early summer, hopefully, so it will be ready for next year’s heating season.”
Dedham Transcript staff writer Edward B. Colby can be reached at 781-433-8336 or ecolby@cnc.com.
The Dedham Housing Authority has been awarded just over $700,000 in stimulus funds that will pay for new, more energy-efficient heating systems for families who live in its public housing developments on Parker Staples Road and Veterans Road.
Dedham’s grant is part of $7.06 in federal weatherization recovery funds that the Patrick administration announced last week would be spent at 19 housing authorities across Massachusetts to replace old heating systems with state-of-the-art units.
Dedham Housing Authority Executive Director Joanne Toomey said that when the energy-efficient systems are in place, it will cost tenants less to heat their apartments.
“This stimulus program is going to help the residents with their utility bills,” she said.
Toomey said systems will be replaced in families’ residences, because they pay for their own heat, but not in the apartments of the elderly, as the housing authority pays for their heat.
Her agency has 26 three-bedroom apartments on Parker Staples Road in Riverdale, and 20 three-bedroom apartments and 56 two-bedroom units on Veterans Road in East Dedham.
Announcing the stimulus spending last Thursday, the Patrick administration said the upgrades will result in lower energy costs for tenants at developments in Brockton, North Attleborough and Stoughton, among other places.
“We have invested stimulus funds in our people and our communities, ensuring that they enjoy immediate and long-term economic benefits from the Recovery Act,” said Gov. Deval Patrick. “These are smart, environmentally sound projects that will create jobs, improve the quality of our affordable housing stock and make life better for the people who live there.”
Toomey said the state cut local housing authority budgets by 4.7 percent in October – making this $702,800 grant “wonderful.”
“Luckily, these housing heating units won’t be coming out of our budget, which is great because we wouldn’t be able to do it,” she said.
Toomey said C. A. Crowley Engineering Inc. of Taunton has been on site in Dedham a few times to take measurements and the like, but she does not know yet when the replacement work will begin.
“Probably after the heating season, so there won’t be any interruption with people’s heat,” she said. “Probably early summer, hopefully, so it will be ready for next year’s heating season.”
Dedham Transcript staff writer Edward B. Colby can be reached at 781-433-8336 or ecolby@cnc.com.
