Summary

This project meets the Tlingit-Haida Regional Housing Authority (THRHA) need to expand weatherization services and jobs for tribal members in southeast Alaska. It will provide weatherization training and apprenticeships to Alaska Natives and result in weatherization jobs and weatherized homes. Putting trained Alaska Natives to work weatherizing homes and buildings provides the additional benefits of reducing the consumption of costly energy, lowering household expenses, and reducing green house gas emissions.

This project will provide five weatherization training units in accordance with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Core Competencies for Weatherization Training for 50 Alaska Natives and 25 paid apprenticeships for those trainees who successfully complete training courses; increases the number of trained installers, crew chiefs and auditors to help meet the demand for trained personnel.

This tribal weatherization training project will continue as a part of the THRHA Weatherization Program. THRHA has a five-year weatherization plan to address housing authority homes and units, along with non-housing authority units in some communities. The THRHA has found that it is it cost effective to take care of weatherization concerns community by community over the course of several construction seasons. To meet rural community weatherization demands, weatherization firms need to employ more trained workers than are currently available.

Project Description

Background

Tlingit and Haida Regional Housing Authority (THRHA), a U.S. Department of Urban and Housing Development, Tribally Designated Housing Entity and nonprofit corporation provides housing, weatherization training and weatherization programs for CCTHITA members in 17 southeast communities with year-round populations: Angoon, Craig, Douglas, Klawock, Kake, Kasaan, Hydaburg, Juneau, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Saxman, Skagway, Wrangell, Haines, Hoonah, Klukwan, and Yakutat.

The University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) will provide weatherization training instruction on their campuses in Juneau and Ketchikan. And THRHA will provide and supervise the paid apprenticeships in conjunction with and to supplement existing THRHA weatherization work crews. Given that some people will take more than one course and others may decide not to continue we estimate that 25 apprenticeships will meet the demand of trainees who successfully complete the training courses.

Upon successfully completing the training, THRHA will employ Alaska Natives to work with THRHA crews to weatherize, in a timely manner, THRHA housing units in communities throughout southeast. THRHA's five-year plan calls for weatherizing more than 1,000 housing units in southeast.

Project Objectives

Through this project THRHA will expand their weatherization training program by identifying and providing industry specific technical training and skills in southeast Alaska for up to 50 new and existing crew members in installation, crew chief, and auditor training courses and up to 25 paid apprenticeships.

THRHA's training goal is for participants to complete the training and ultimately provide jobs for local workers to weatherize local homes.

Project Location

Most members of the Central Council Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (CCTHITA), a federally recognized tribe, live in 24 communities scattered throughout southeast Alaska' 600-mile archipelago. Because these communities are not connected by road, residents rely on ferry, barge, and air service for personal transportation and delivery of goods.

Project Status

The project is complete. For more, see the final report.

The project was competitively selected under the Tribal Energy Program's fiscal year 2009 funding opportunity announcement, "First Steps Toward Tribal Weatherization — Human Capacity Development," and started in January 2010.

The October 2010 and November 2011 project status reports provides more information.