Building Back Better with Vermont Strong
Owners of flood-damaged homes get help replacing heating systems as winter sets in
As Vermont assesses damage from yet another round of flooding this week, the state continues to build strategies to respond to the more severe flooding that took place in July. Part of that work is to help owners of flood-damaged homes in Vermont meet the daunting challenge of replacing their heating and cooling systems, and do it in a way that offers more protection from flood events in the future.
As it became clear that HVAC woes were slowing flood recovery earlier this year, a pilot project called the Vermont Energy Recovery Teams (VERT) was created. Since September, it has helped dozens of low- and moderate-income people replace their heating systems and get back into their homes as winter sets in.
The program, with support from the Vermont Strong campaign via the VT Flood Response & Recovery Fund at the Vermont Community Foundation, works with people step by step. Coordinators help them assess their needs, line up contractors, and apply for flood relief funding at Efficiency Vermont to help cover the cost of new systems. Equally important: The program offers advice on compliance with flood-proofing ordinances designed to prevent mechanicals from being reinstalled in flood-prone basements.
Navigating the FEMA process, private insurance, and major renovations in the wake of a weather disaster has understandably been a challenge for property owners, said Richard Donnelly, VERT initiative coordinator and director of Energy Innovation at VGS.
“You’ve got all these damaged systems, you can’t move back into your house unless you have a heating system, and contractors are in high demand and short supply. It’s overwhelming," Donnelly said.
The program, a collaboration among Vermont utilities and other partners, has helped a list of property owners identified by the state and FEMA clear these hurdles. The project will continue into 2024, and hopefully provide lessons for the future. “We’ve learned a lot about how to support folks in the recovery,” Donnelly said. “We’ve learned a lot about how to make sure that they have the right advice in terms of energy efficiency, available funding, and preparing them for the next time this happens. Vermonters are building back better.”
"Vermonters are building back better."
The VERT partnership is a unique collaboration between the State of Vermont and Vermont utilities (Green Mountain Power, Vermont Electric Co-op, Vermont Public Power Supply Authority, Washington Electric Co-op, Hyde Park Electric, Efficiency Vermont, and Vermont Gas), with funding support from the Vermont Community Foundation and the Vermont Low Income Trust for Electricity (VLITE).
Built with Shorthand