Oakland SAVES Grant Program
Oakland Saves StoryMap
Energy efficiency supports all three pillars of sustainability—environmental, social, and economic—by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, lowering energy costs, and creating local jobs. In celebration of Earth Day, Oakland County is showcasing the impact of its 2024 energy efficiency program, Oakland SAVES, which provided upgrades that benefitted both the environment and the community through a brand-new StoryMap.
Oakland County partnered with Michigan Saves to upgrade nearly 1,100 households, improving comfort, resilience, and reducing utility bills, while also generating over $7.7 million in local contracting work. The StoryMap features participant testimonials, a map of completed projects, and an analysis of its environmental, social, and economic impacts.
Visit the new Oakland Saves StoryMap
Application Closed
The response to the Oakland SAVES program was phenomenal with more than 1,100 households receiving approval for the money saving, energy efficiency upgrade grants in less than a week. Tier 1 and Tier 2 grant incentive funds have been fully committed to previous applicants. The application is no longer available.
THERE ARE STILL OPTIONS
- Michigan Saves has a residential financing program that provides low-interest loans to homeowners for eligible energy-efficiency projects.
- Oakland County’s Neighborhood and Housing Development department has a home improvement program that provides interest-free low loans for needed house repairs.
- OLHSA has a weatherization assistance program that is a free energy conservation service for low-income households to reduce energy usage and utility bills.
- DTE Energy Efficiency Assistance
- Consumers Helping Neighbors Program
- Oakland County is actively seeking partners to help extend and expand the Oakland Saves initiative.
Oakland County partnered with Michigan Saves, the nation’s first nonprofit green bank, to invest $5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to provide qualified residents with an Oakland SAVES grant. These grants were used for energy efficient upgrades to homes, producing savings in energy consumption and utility bills and improving our residents’ health, safety and comfort.
“Helping our residents upgrade the energy efficiency of their homes will not only enable them to save money on their utility bills but will also be beneficial for the environment. Less energy usage means a reduction in carbon emissions and that translates into a cleaner, more sustainable environment for all of us.”
Dave Coulter, County Executive
Any qualified resident in Oakland County applied for a grant in one of two tiers:
- Income-qualified households received up to $5,000 from a pot of $4 million to help pay for projects.
- Other residents applied to have 20% of a sustainable home improvement project covered by a grant, capping out at $3,000 each from a pot of $1 million.
Eligible improvements included: the installation of insulation, energy-efficient doors and windows, weatherstripping, and heating, ventilation, water heater and air conditioning improvements.
For more ways to improve your energy efficiency and reduce both costs and climate impact at home, check out the resources on our Sustainability at Home page.
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Sustainability
White House Sees Real Impact of ARPA in Oakland County
29 Jul, 04:08 PM
Senior Advisor to President Joe Biden and Director of White House of Intergovernmental Affairs Tom Perez visits Oakland County to see ARPA investments in action.
Oak Park, Mich.– Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter welcomed Tom Perez, Senior Advisor to President Joe Biden, to Oakland County Monday to see the positive impacts the federal funding through the American Rescue Plan has had on residents.
Director Perez, the Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, Coulter and local leaders visited the home of Gwendolyn Bynum in Oak Park to see how she was able to make her 70-year-old home more energy efficient. She received a grant for new windows through the Oakland Simple Action for Valuable Energy Savings or SAVES initiative.
She is one of more than 1,000 people who received grants of between $3,000 and $5,000 to make the improvements during the past year. The $5 million investment was so popular that the money was spoken for in less than a week after Oakland SAVES was announced.
“I’d like to thank Director Perez and the administration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for their leadership and the federal dollars that helped us come out of the pandemic even stronger,” said Coulter. “The Oakland SAVES program was just a small portion of the ARPA funding the county received, but it had a huge impact for our residents.”
Mrs. Bynum, a General Motors retiree, said her windows were so fogged up that she couldn’t see across the street until the Oakland SAVES grant paid for the replacement of 10 windows.
“When you have to scrape up the money for things like insurance and taxes, it’s hard to find the money to make repairs,” she said. “I can only do a little bit at a time, so I love this program.”
Perez visited Oakland County as a part of a two-day tour of ARPA projects across the state.
“Moments of grave crisis are also moments of tremendous opportunity. These are moments that have allowed us to make transformational change,” Perez said of the American Rescue Plan.
“We’re talking about housing stability and making sure when you get in that house, you can stay in that house,” he told Mrs. Bynum. “These new windows are windows of opportunity and that’s what these investments are about."
The SAVES initiative was among dozens of programs the county implemented with the $244 million in ARPA funding, including:
- Improving and expanding mental health services
- Helping residents get a college degree or certified training
- Increasing the availability of affordable housing in the county
- Providing 3D printers and training to our small manufacturers, helping them become more competitive in a global marketplace
- Providing resources and coaching for our small businesses
Expanding and improving parks throughout the county and helping senior centers improve their services and facilities.
"Oakland SAVES is one of the programs that I am incredibly proud of and excited about. Not only does it help us achieve our environmental goals, it permanently puts money in the pockets of people, lowering the cost of living for working families in this county," said David Woodward, Chairman of the Oakland County Board of Commissioners.
To see more about the American Rescue plan's impact in Oakland County, go to oakgov.com/arp.