By incorporating energy efficiency methods into their rehabilitation programs, grantees can advance their mission to provide safe, affordable housing to their low-income community by providing sound, comfortable construction using the latest technology. Grantees also benefit from effective use of resources, cost savings in utility bills will require less assistance to low-income households, and better construction methods and techniques will extend the life of the property, which will reduce their maintenance costs.

Collaboration with conservation agencies to develop an integrated energy conservation and rehabilitation program makes sense because such a partnership will allow grantees to decrease the cost of providing the program. For example, by pooling their resources with other agencies, grantees can assist more households. By working with local weatherization agencies, grantees can help the agencies understand the win/win in collaboration. By providing opportunities to collaborate, identifying areas of overlap, or making a simple contact, grantees can find great benefits in collaboration.

Specifically, Grantees will benefit from:

• Technical experience. Grantees can draw on agencies' knowledge of the latest home energy conservation principles and uses.
  
  
• Practical experience. Weatherization agencies can determine, based on energy audits, the most effective energy-saving techniques, perform work-write ups, inspect job-site, and evaluate energy-related subcontractors,
  
  
• Appropriate equipment and techniques. Weatherization agencies can conduct energy audits and install energy saving equipment, which most grantees are not equipped to do. Equipment, for example, may include blower doors or infrared scanners.
  
  
• New sources of financial leverage. Energy program funding can augment a grantees' budget and may even be able to satisfy matching and leveraging requirements.

In addition, weatherization agencies will benefit from:

• Rehabilitation expertise. Most grantees manage a rehabilitation program and are experienced in overseeing and coordinating this effort.
  
  
• Administrative capacity. Grantees have the resources and capacity to market programs, screen applicants and manage construction.
  
  
• New sources of financial leverage. Weatherization agencies can use grantees' funds to pay for rehabilitation activities, which they can not fund.

Other's benefit from collaboration as well. For example:

• Trade organizations will benefit from:
  • Expanded market. Trade organizations can increase their market area by working with grantees and weatherization agencies undertaking rehab and energy programs.
    
    
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will benefit from:
  • New sources of financial leverage. Additional projects can be assisted if funding is augmented with funds from energy programs.
  • Technical expertise. HUD can draw on weatherization agencies' knowledge of the latest home energy conservation principles and uses.
    
    
• Consumers will benefit from:
  • Appropriate equipment and techniques. Consumers can be assured that the latest and most efficient home energy conservation principles and uses are being used.

In addition, this year weatherization has become a national priority. The high-profile role of weatherization in the National Energy Policy has increased awareness and funding. While this may leave some agencies scrambling to just get the work done, grantees can identify where areas of overlap exist and how by collaboration everyone's work can be easier.