By Vanessa Overholser - Staff Writer
A hefty blast of cold weather swept through the eastern Kentucky region leaving some without heat. Folks at Gateway Community Action say funds are available for qualifying citizens who are in crisis.
“LIHEAP or Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program is a federally-funded program that helps families who are in crisis,” said Sandra Stevens, community services block grant and LIHEAP director for Gateway Community Action. “Congress allocated funds that is set aside for assisting families with home energy situations. Generally it is done in the winter. Occasionally it is done in the summer.”
There are two components to the heating program: the LIHEAP subsidy program and the crisis program.
Since the crisis program began Jan. 4, there has been an influx of people needing help, Stevens said.
“People have been standing and waiting since 6 a.m. to be served and were pushing and shoving each other just to get in the door,” Stevens said Wednesday. “They just about injured an elderly lady.”
Stevens said she realizes people are in a panic because of the freezing temperatures. However, she did give some advice when it comes to people coming into any of the Gateway Community Action offices to apply for help.
“If people could just be patient and understanding, we’ve been dealing with a high quantity of people needing help.
“The crisis program will end March 31 or until we run out of money. I think we will run out before then because in the first two days we spent over $100,000 on assistance. I suspect that a lot of people were put into panic because of the snowstorm and the anticipation of what is coming ahead,” Stevens said.
Gateway has only a certain amount that was permitted for the program, she said.
“Congress allotted over $700,000,” she said. “Once that is spent, we can apply for contingency funds for congress to give us additional funds. There is no guarantee we will get approved for it.”
Gateway officials have no way of predicting how many people it will serve this year, Stevens said.
“We’ve already exceeded the amount of applications we did at the same time last year for the crisis program,” she said.
She predicted that there would be an increase of people seeking help from her agency.
“I think we will see more people especially those people who are elderly and on a fixed income,” she said. “They did not see a raise in their Social Security checks in 2010. We’ll see more of those folks than we have before.”
Stevens said people should think about how they will provide for heating sources next year.
“I strongly suggest they plan ahead to provide for their heat because you don’t know what kind of assistance will be available in the future,” she said. “It will be very wise to plan ahead to keep out of crisis.”
The Gateway Community Action Agency serves Bath, Menifee, Montgomery, Morgan and Rowan counties.
Requirements for the subsidy program: applicants must be at 130 percent poverty level. Clients must be in a disconnect status before getting assistance. Also applicants can apply one time per household, Stevens said.
“The subsidy program began Nov. 2 and ended Dec. 11,” Stevens said. “Funds are applied toward heating sources such as electric, heat, natural gases, coal, fuel oil, propane and kerosene and wood.”
It depends on the fuel source and how many times a person can apply, she said.
“Electric and natural gas clients will be assessed for the eligibility for the maximum amount per household,” she said. “Clients with coal as a source of heat will be able to get one ton at a time and those clients with wood as a heating source can get one cord at a time. Clients heating with coal and wood can apply two times as funds are available. People with fuel oil and kerosene as heating sources can come in as many as four times but they can only apply for assistance for 50 gallons at a time.”
The requirement for qualifying for assistance is rather simple, she said.
“You have to be at 130 percent of the poverty level or below to qualify for the program,” she said.
Families must be in a crisis state before Gateway can assist them.
“People with electric heat and natural gas must have a disconnect status,” she said. “Those clients with propane gas as a source of heat must have at least 30 percent or less in their tank before filling out an application. Not only do you have to be income eligible during crisis, you have to have four days or less of natural heating sources before you run out.”
For more information call 784-7735.
