The city of Thomas, in conjunction with the nonprofit New Historic Thomas, will host free public workshops throughout the month of September.
Three workshops will cover the topics of prioritizing repair needs, financing building repair and weatherization. The workshops are grant-funded and free to anyone interested. Registration is available online at www.newhistoricthomas.com.
The grant funding the workshops aims to increase capacity within the community to deal with vacant and dilapidated structures.
"We hope these workshops will give people a place to start, a jumping-off point to make their business or home more livable and energy efficient; while not breaking the bank," said grant administrator Elizabeth Beckerle.
The first workshop is the prioritizing repair needs workshop, set for 6:30 p.m. Sept. 5. The Mills Group Architecture and Planning Firm will present on how to assess a building's repair needs, decide what repair needs to focus on, take into account the lifespan of various building elements and how to repair historic building elements.
The second workshop, financing building repair, will be 6:30 p.m. Sept. 12. Woodlands Development Group, Woodlands Community Lenders and the HomeOwnership Center will present on the various financing options available to homeowners and commercial property owners alike all of available funding such as small grants and low-interest loans.
The third workshop, weatherization, will be 6:30 p.m. Sept. 18. North Central West Virginia Community Action's Weatherization Team will present on how to assess a home for its weatherization needs, what to do to lower energy costs and their income eligible assistance programs for homeowners and landlords.
More information is available by emailing newhistoricthomas@gmail.com.
