United Way of the Midlands Weatherization Program Reduces Costs and Strengthens Community

Twenty years ago, Mike Linarez was working construction in Nevada when his company began offering weatherization services. Weatherization makes homes safer, healthier, and more energy efficient by sealing leaks, improving insulation and fixing systems that waste energy or put residents at risk. On the job, he began meeting homeowners whose lives were transformed by lower utility bills. “When you start talking to folks, you realize how much of a difference it makes for them to have those extra dollars each month,” Mike says.

Today, Mike leads United Way of the Midlands’ Weatherization Assistance Program in Douglas County, where many homes are nearly a century old. In fact, 1 in 4 of Omaha’s residential structures were built before 1950, making energy inefficiency and safety hazards common. While much of Nebraska is rural and overall poverty is lower than the national average, the Omaha–Council Bluffs metro area is more densely populated and has several deep pockets of concentrated poverty. It also has one of the highest rates of working families under the poverty line in the country, with 63% of households in poverty having at least one worker.

A lot of the folks we work with face hard choices every month. Do I pay for groceries? Medications? Rent? By reducing utility costs, we free up money for essentials.”

After years without service in the area, the program is helping residents cut utility bills by an average of 15 to 20%. “A lot of the folks we work with face hard choices every month,” says Matt Wallen, Chief Operating Officer for United Way of the Midlands. “Do I pay for groceries? Medications? Rent? By reducing utility costs, we free up money for essentials.”

The benefits extend far beyond monthly bills. Crews use a whole-home approach, inspecting insulation, ventilation, heating and cooling systems and testing for hazards like carbon monoxide leaks and gas line issues. In one case, Mike discovered a cracked heat exchanger pushing dangerous fumes into a home. In another, he caught a basement gas leak before it could ignite. Each repair strengthens the home’s safety and market value.

In Douglas County, weatherization is building community resiliency in three ways: lowering household costs, improving housing assets, and developing workforce skills. Contractors receive specialized training in energy audits and diagnostic tools, preparing them for steady careers in a growing field.

For families, the equation is simple: weatherized homes mean lower utility bills and lower bills mean more freedom to cover what matters most. For the community, it means safer, healthier homes, a stronger workforce and neighborhoods that are better prepared to withstand hardship. As Mike puts it, “It’s just rewarding to know you’re helping somebody live more comfortably and safely in their home.”