History
Forms
Download, print and fill out these forms completely to be considered for Weatherization Trust, Inc.'s services.
In the early 1970’s the Governor’s Office of Nebraska approached Northern Natural Gas Company to operate a Federally Funded weatherization project. The project became the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) in Omaha and the Greater Douglas County Area. Believing that it was a great community service, the company agreed to the proposal. A trust was formed as a means of operating the program. They named it Weatherization Trust.
The focus of the WAP was to save energy; both gas and electricity. The goal was to accomplish this by weatherizing homes. Since low income households tended to be in the oldest housing stock, with the highest energy burden, that is where the program focused its efforts. In the early years, the income qualification limit was set at 125% of the Federal Poverty Level. In the Omaha area, the greatest concentration of older homes and income eligible residents lived east of 4th and north of south of Dodge Street.
What would you like to do?
Over the years, the Program evolved into a more sophisticated energy conservation package. Early on the Weatherization Trust insulated attics, reviewed and supplied products to reduce air infiltration, conducted safety inspections and tuning and cleaning of furnaces. Today Weatherization Trust has grown into an organization that employs 31 full and part-time staff, and provides a wide array of energy saving programs based on the results of a comprehensive energy audit called a NEAT audit. Some of these programs include:
- Insulation of side-walls and attics
- Air infiltration abatement
- Weather stripping
- Installation and/or repair of replacement windows, doors and storm door replacement
- HVAC heating system inspections which qualifies the household for possible repair or replacement of those systems.
- The program also replaces light bulbs with low energy bulbs
If you meet the income requirements and are approved for weatherization assistance services in Nebraska, your home will be evaluated to identify the most effective energy and dollar saving improvements which can be made. The amount of money that can be spent on each home is limited, so all of the improvements listed may not be made in each home.
Currently the organization is operated by a non-profit board of directors, including Bill Selgren, Hal Hoover, and Richard Haire. The company is directed by Executive Director, Sean Haire, and managed by Department Heads who include Duane Ellis, and Darin Cochran. The Weatherization Trust completes its programs and services through the support of 27 employees and more than a dozen qualified contractors.
If you would like to learn more about the program and determine if you qualify for the program, please check out our funding guidelines.