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CRI Home Page > About CRI > CRI Strategic Areas > Modest Means Council > Energy Conservation Loans and Grants

Smart DEAL

Energy conservation is all about saving money and reducing the amount of energy we use especially at home. There are simple low cost energy conservation measures we can do our selves, that don’t take a lot of time or cost a lot of money like caulking around the outside of our doors and windows, putting up our storm windows (or putting them down if you have self storing storms and screens) and turning down the thermostat, when you leave the house and/or go to bed at night. But other energy conservation measures are more costly and often require a professional to help you.

Weatherization, weatherizing your house for the winter, involves installing insulation in the attic, side walls and rim joist, replacing old inefficient furnaces even replacing windows. These energy conservation measures cost more and often require getting a loan. It’s a Smart DEAL when you connect with low cost resources available in your community to assist you. Here are some examples:

The Michigan State Housing Development Authority has Property Improvement Loans available at low interest rates for home owners and owners of rental properties to use to make energy conservation home improvements, to learn more click here: http://www.michigan.gov/mshda/0,1607,7-141-49317---,00.html

For low income homeowners, there are FREE programs that are federally funded and come into local communities through urban city planning and neighborhood development departments as well as community action agencies and rural areas are covered primarily by community action agencies. Click here to see what Community Action Agency serves your area and to learn more about these agencies look at the Profiles as well.

http://www.mcaaa.org/Map_Color_Only.pdf

http://www.mcaaa.org/Profiles9.htm

You might be able to access resources for members for energy conservation in rural areas from the USDA Rural Development Fund, check out information on these resources at:

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/mi/

Community Reinvestment Initiative Mission Statement
	"To bring together public and private entities to explore opportunities for strengthening communities by improving the financial well being of Michigan residents with an emphasis on underserved areas."