Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 20 - DIVISION OF COMMUNITY SERVICES › Chapter 1 - Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Weatherization Assistance Program › Rule 18-20-1-1 - Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) State Plan › Section 18-20-1-1-V - MASTER FILE › Section 18-20-1-1-V.9 - Energy Crisis & Disaster Plan (WPN12-07)

Current through June 25, 2024
State of Mississippi Weatherization Assistance
						Program Disaster Relief Plan
For weatherization purposes, a disaster is determined by
						a Presidential or Gubernatorial order declaring either a Federal or State
						Emergency. The crisis will generally involve three phases: the crisis itself,
						the clean-up, and rebuilding of the area.
Purpose
: To develop a prudent disaster
						response plan that addresses the needs of affected low-income clients and takes
						into consideration the limited funding available and the effects to the
						weatherization program activities. The State of Mississippi will work in
						conjunction with its Disaster Relief Team to aid with identifying and securing
						any resources that may be available to assist in the relief Project Management
						Center (PMC) Project Officer will be notified as soon as possible regarding a
						disaster.
Eligible Activities:
Reweatherization
- The rule allows any home
						damaged by a disaster to be reweatherized, without regard to date of
						weatherization, if the damage to materials is not covered by insurance.
Health & Safety
- The rule allows a
						State to develop a health and safety plan to address the needs of low-income
						occupants of eligible homes.
Technical Assistance
- The rule permits the
						States to use technical assistance units in flexible ways to achieve energy
						efficiency goals of the program.
Leveraging
- The rule permits States to use
						a small percentage of DOE grant funds to provide leveraging opportunities at
						the state and local levels with prior approval.
Eligible Population
: Any person or
						household,
(residence of Mississippi),
meeting income
						eligibility based on 200% of the federal poverty guidelines. Priority will be
						given to clients currently on the WX Priority Lists, elderly, handicapped, and
						families with children.
Allowable expenditures under WAP
						include
:
1) The cost of
					 incidental repairs to a negligible dwelling unit if such repairs are necessary
					 to make the installation of weatherization materials effective and,
2) The cost of eliminating health and safety
					 hazards, elimination of which is necessary before the installation of
					 weatherization materials ( 10 CFR
					 440.18(d)(9);
					 10 CFR 40.18(d) (15). To the
					 extent that the services are in support of eligible weatherization (or
					 permissible re-weatherization) work, such expenditure would be allowable.
For example, debris removal at a dwelling unit so that the unit
					 can be weatherized would be an allowable cost. Debris removal from a dwelling
					 unit that is not to be weatherized would not be an allowable
					 cost
. The
$8,009
per dwelling unit
					 limit continues to apply.
The State of Mississippi elects to limit incidental
						repairs ( 10 CFR
						440.14(c) (6) (viii) to
						$500. If total anticipated repair cost exceeds $500 in materials expenditures,
						DCS must first authorize the additional expenditures before the costs are
						incurred. All requests must be in writing, documenting why the exception is
						being requested and how the repairs will benefit the effective performance or
						preservation of Weatherization materials.
The use of WAP funds to pay personnel to perform
						functions related to protecting the DOE investment. Such activities include:
						securing weatherization materials, tools, equipment, weatherization vehicles,
						or protection of local agency weatherization files, records and the like during
						the initial phase of the disaster response.
Using WAP funds to
						pay for weatherization personnel to perform relief work in the community as a
						result of a disaster is not allowable.
Subgrantees may use weatherization equipment to help
						assist in disaster relief provided the WAP is reimbursed according to the DOE
						Financial Assistance Regulations 10 CFR Part 600.
Health & Safety
- Subgrantees will
						utilize the health and safety plan to address the needs of low-income occupants
						of eligible homes. (See Attachment)
Technical Assistance
- The rule permits the
						States to use technical assistance units in flexible ways to achieve energy
						efficiency goals of the program.
Leveraging
- The rule permits States to use
						a small percentage of DOE grant funds to provide leveraging opportunities at
						the state and local levels with prior approval.
Eligible Population
: Any person or
						household,
(residence of Mississippi),
meeting income
						eligibility based on 200% of the federal poverty guidelines. Priority will be
						given to elderly, persons with disabilities, families with children, high
						residential energy users, and households with high energy burdens (
						10CFR
						440.16(b) ) However, it
						would be permissible to consider in households located in the disaster area, as
						a priority as long as the households are eligible and meet one of the
						priorities established in regulation and are free and clear of any insurance
						claim or other form of compensation resulting from damage incurred from the
						disaster.
Scope of Work:
1. Authorization for subgrantees to
					 re-prioritize service requests coming from disaster areas so that eligible
					 residents from these areas receive weatherization and re-weatherization
					 services as quickly as possible as long as the households are determined
					 eligible for WAP services; meet one of the priorities described in
					 10 CFR
					 440.16(b); and are free and
					 clear of any insurance claim or other form of compensation resulting from the
					 damage incurred from the disaster.
2. Authorization for DCS to submit an
					 amendment to its Weatherization State Plan that reflects changes, including
					 potential reductions in production, and the use of unspent carryover funds if
					 necessary, to provide emergency services to the affected areas.
Additional Criteria:
I.
First Priority
a. Health & Safety
b. Measures within scope of program
II.
Second Priority
a. Specific list of measures that is most
					 beneficial for the type of disaster to include, but not limited to:
1. Minor roof repair -
per WX
					 guidelines
2. Repair or
					 Replacement of Sheet Rock
3.
					 Replace hot water heaters
4.
					 Replace Insulation (Walls, Attic, Crawl Space)
5. Replace/Repair Windows and Doors
6. Replace/Repair HVAC system and space
					 heaters
7. Replace
					 electrical/damaged outlets - (H&S) Work will be done on outlets that
					 impacts the weatherization measures.
8. Minor envelope repairs
9. All remaining measures -
a. Installed in order of priority in
					 accordance with State Policies and Procedures.
b. Subgrantees will utilize the NEAT/MHEA
					 Audit when determining work to be done.