Half of emergency heating funds have already been spent

Last November the agency helped 458 people; this year, 607 have applied.
By D.A. WILKINSON
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- Winter is just beginning but Columbiana County has already spent half of its emergency funds to help the poor heat their homes.
The emergency Home Energy Assistance Program is for households that have less than a 10-day supply of fuel or where the heat is off.
Ruth Allison, the emergency services director for the Community Action Agency, said Friday, "I've been here 26 years and this is the worst I've ever seen it."
The nonprofit CAA handles requests for emergency heating aid in the county. The county has been allocated $303,000 for Nov. 1 to March 31.
Allison said the agency had approved funds for 607 people so far in November. She noted that there are almost two weeks left in the month.
For comparison, the agency helped 458 people get funding from the program in November 2004. Emergency HEAP helped a total of 1,630 people in the county from Nov. 1, 2004, through March 31, 2005.
Still, there is some good news. Extra federal funds allowed the agency to take applications from people at or below 175 percent of federal poverty guidelines instead of at or below 150 percent of the guidelines. That, said Allison, meant the poor, the working poor and the elderly on fixed incomes could actually get fuel.
Breaking it down
The program provides up to $175 for natural gas or electricity, $250 for coal or wood, and $450 for heating oil or liquified petroleum gas. The lower poverty level would have meant that even with emergency HEAP, some people could not have afforded the minimum delivery vendors require, she said.
People can also apply for a second heating assistance payment under the regular HEAP program. That's done by mail, and people should receive it in about six to eight weeks. The regular HEAP program helped 4,118 households last winter.
Allison said that when it comes to heating help from the government this year, "That's it."
The Columbiana County commissioners wanted the one-stop center to help the needy. Churches, charities and other groups signed a memorandum of understanding with the CAA.
Allison said that when the public funds are exhausted, the private groups will try to help people with their winter bills.
To seek help from the emergency HEAP program, people should call (330) 424-1386. That's an automated system that will set up an appointment in 10 days.
wilkinson@vindy.com