Published: January 14, 2009 12:57 am      

HOME HEATING: As winter hits its stride, a HEAP of inquiries roll in

New income guidelines are allowing more Niagara County residents to qualify for emergency home heating assistance this winter.

And so far, plenty of people are taking advantage of the opportunity.

County officials say demand for home heating help is on the rise and, given the state of the economy, they don’t expect the number of applicants to drop anytime soon.

“Last Monday, we had 300 people walk through our doors in our Lockport office,” said Brian Kane, director of the county’s Home Energy Assistance Program, or HEAP. “We are seeing a tremendous increase.”

The federally funded HEAP is actually two programs in one. Standard HEAP helps low-income New Yorkers pay their home-heating costs. Emergency HEAP benefits are offered to individuals meeting income qualification guidelines who have received shut-off notices from their home-heating providers.

Request for help with home-heating concerns have been running high so far this year at the county’s Office for the Aging, according to the office’s HEAP coordinator Lee Puzan. The Office for the Aging helps residents age 60 and older apply for assistance under the standard HEAP program, only. It also works with older residents in obtaining financial assistance with installing insulation, weather stripping and performing other home improvements under the federal Weatherization Referral and Packaging Program, or WRAP.

Puzan said his office has received about 250 more inquiries this year than the same time period a year ago.

“Obviously, because of the cost of heating, people are looking for help,” Puzan said.

While economic conditions are partially responsible for the increased demand, a recent change in income eligibility requirements for emergency assistance has also made a difference, according to Kane.

New York received additional federal HEAP dollars that allowed the state to increase the level of income required for households to be eligible for emergency assistance. As of Jan. 1, the eligibility guidelines for emergency HEAP increased from 60 percent to 75 percent of the state’s median household income. As a result, a family of four with a household income of $56,635 would now be eligible to apply for emergency benefits. Last year, the same family of four would have had to earn $45,312 or less to submit an application.

Kane said his office is currently accepting applications for emergency HEAP benefits and expects to be able to continue to do so until the program’s funds have been exhausted for the year. Last year, Kane said, his office had enough available funding to continue to processing applications for home-heating assistance through May.

Contact reporter Mark Scheer at 282-2311, ext. 2250.

HELP WITH HEAT

Individuals seeking information about applying for standard or emergency home heating benefits can visit the county’s HEAP offices at 20 East Ave., Lockport or 301 10th St., Niagara Falls. Telephone inquiries are also accepted at the Lockport office at 439-7744 or the Falls office at 278-8645. Both offices are open from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Monday through Friday.

• STANDARD HEAP: Residents age 60 and older can request information about obtaining standard HEAP benefits or assistance through the county’s weatherization program by visiting the Niagara County Office for Aging at 111 Main St., Suite 101, Lockport, or by calling 438-4020.

• EMERGENCY HEAP: Residents age 60 and older who are in need of emergency HEAP assistance are encouraged to visit or contact the county’s HEAP offices in Lockport or Niagara Falls.