((a)) The Congress finds that—

((1)) a fast, cost-effective, and environmentally sound way to prevent future energy shortages in the United States while reducing the Nation’s dependence on imported energy supplies, is to encourage and facilitate, through major programs, the implementation of energy conservation and renewable-resource energy measures with respect to dwelling units;

((2)) existing efforts to encourage and facilitate such measures are inadequate because—

((A)) many dwellings owned or occupied by low-income persons are energy inefficient;

((B)) low-income persons can least afford to make the modifications necessary to provide for efficient energy equipment in such dwellings and otherwise to improve the energy efficiency of such dwellings;

((3)) weatherization of such dwellings would lower shelter costs in dwellings owned or occupied by low-income persons as well as save energy and reduce future energy capacity requirements; and

((4)) States, through Community Action Agencies established under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 [ et seq.] and units of general purpose local government, should be encouraged, with Federal financial and technical assistance, to develop and support coordinated weatherization programs designed to alleviate the adverse effects of energy costs on such low-income persons, to supplement other Federal programs serving such low-income persons, and to increase energy efficiency.

((b)) It is, therefore, the purpose of this part to develop and implement a weatherization assistance program to increase the energy efficiency of dwellings owned or occupied by low-income persons, reduce their total residential energy expenditures, and improve their health and safety, especially low-income persons who are particularly vulnerable such as the elderly, the handicapped, and children.