Tierney Tours North Reading Housing Authority Recovery Act Project

North Reading, MA – February 4, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — Yesterday Congressman John Tierney met with North Reading Housing Authority staff and residents for an update on the more than $160,000 in federal Recovery Act funds currently supporting an ongoing project to replace the heating system at its Peabody Court complex. According to the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, energy efficiency improvements such as the one taking place at Peabody Court are estimated to reduce heating costs by anywhere between 15 and 25 percent.

Following a tour of the facility and the project, Congressman Tierney sat down with staff to discuss the federally funded recovery project award and learn more about how it is benefiting the community. This is the first in a series of Recovery-related events and meetings that the Congressman will hold in the coming weeks to mark the two year anniversary of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

“These federal funds are serving as critical support for our communities, helping to jumpstart construction projects and create jobs, and saving our local governments through more energy efficient equipment,” Congressman Tierney said. “I thank the North Reading Housing Authority for their work on behalf of our community. Our economy, both locally and nationally, is benefitted when projects like this one support local residents, create jobs, and save taxpayer dollars.”

The ARRA Weatherization Award of more than $160,000 is being used by the North Reading Housing Authority to replace a total of nine boilers in their Peabody Court development (10 buildings, 4 units each). Four of the new boilers have already been installed. Work on replacing the next two boilers with more energy efficient equipment is expected to be completed within the next two weeks, at which point the project is expected to be concluded in the ensuing brief period.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which Congressman Tierney supported and was signed into law in February 2009, is widely credited with having saved or created an estimated 3.5 million American jobs. The bill continues to help sustain the ongoing recovery in the short-term while also investing in long-term growth through unprecedented investments in education, clean energy and science and technology.