Stimulus dollars to improve Utah homes

(Salt Lake Tribune) If you're curious where all that federal stimulus money went, you might want to look under the lamp shades at Julie Christensen's house. Twenty-eight energy efficient light bulbs and a new water heater and furnace brought the young mom to tears earlier this year as her home was transformed with weatherization dollars courtesy of the federal plan.

The Magna family, which relies on food stamps to feed its two children, didn't pay a cent. "It's so nice to finally have help," Christensen said this week.

Thousands of Utah homes will become less drafty as $38 million in weatherization funding is spread throughout low-income families over the next three years.

The largest recipient of the funding is the Salt Lake Community Action Program which, for more than four decades, has made it its mission to curb poverty. The organization will receive $10.9 million to make home improvements that will save homeowners and renters money while reducing energy use.

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