Congresswoman Barragán secures $1 million in funding to replace rooftops for Paramount residents

PARAMOUNT, Calif. (KABC) -- Congresswoman Nanette Barragán secured $1,044,000 in federal funding for residents in Paramount. This money will start a program to replace rooftops on houses for low-income residents who qualified for free solar panels through the nonprofit Grid Alternatives.

"I think it's a great opportunity for all residents here in the city of Paramount and having that help or to have your roof be rebuilt, especially with solar panels," said resident Mayra Renteria.

"People have called us and said, 'Hey we want to benefit from having solar on our roofs, but we can't do it because we're told we need to repair our roof or replace our roof.'" We want to make sure everybody has access to solar because that is one way we're going to bring down prices," Barragán said.

A total of 75 residents will receive new roofing. Many of these residents said they are already burdened by high electric bills and have significant damage from this year's storms. However, this funding will greatly impact them.

"My roof is totally damaged, it's open. So I was struggling, thinking how I was going to fix that problem. And now with this new roof and free installation of solar, that's going to fix my problem," said resident Maria Rocio-Moreno.

"We do not charge the families for anything. It is no cost to the families, so this is a huge benefit," said Stella Ursua, director of community engagement for Grid Alternatives.

Representatives emphasize that residents will not only have safer living conditions, but they will also benefit from low costs while contributing to environmental conservation.

"I just want to say thank you. For me now, it's peace of mind that I'm going to have what I need," Rocio-Moreno said.

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