Slaughter calls for release of funds for heating costs

Niagara Wheatfield Tribune, January 14, 2010

Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, NY-28, Tuesday said that contingency funds available for high heating costs need to be released to help struggling families pay for the rising cost of heating their homes.

“Western New Yorkers are struggling to pay their heating bills and funds exist that can help but aren’t being spent – that’s extraordinary to me,” said Slaughter. “Last year we passed a bill that allows $590 million to be used for just such a situation. This federal money should be made available, today.”

Last week, Slaughter wrote a letter to President Barack Obama asking that $590 million in contingency funding made available through the Consolidated Appropriations Act be released immediately. 

The National Energy Assistance Directors Association has said they expect a 20 percent increase in applications for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) this year. The Erie County Department of Social Services has already reported such an increase.

Of the already allocated LIHEAP funding, here’s what’s been needed in Western New York:

In Monroe County, more than $12 million has been allocated to 39,671 households that applied before November. Another $404,265 in emergency benefits have been given to residents of 998 households.

In Niagara County, almost $5.5 million has been distributed to 15,241 households in the past three months. This is particularly high, given that the entire 2008-09 season provided benefits to 17,287 people. Niagara County has also already allocated $201,315 in emergency benefits.

In Erie County, the local HUD office reports a 20 percent increase in requests from last year for emergency benefits just in the months of November and December. In 2009, $28.7 million has been given to more than 81,000 households with 9,000 households receiving emergency funds.

In Orleans County, 2,719 households have received more than $1.3 million; 245 have already received $44,000 in emergency funding to avoid having their utilities turned off.

LIHEAP funds are available to residents based on gross monthly household income, household size and living guidelines. Each household’s benefit is determined by the amount of household income and vulnerable population classifications. For more information on eligibility for LIHEAP visit: http://www.otda.state.ny.us/main/heap/default.asp.

LIHEAP is a federally funded assistance program designed to help eligible households with the costs of heating their homes and is administered locally by the Departments of Social and Senior Services.