subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite mapBuy a Classified
Sun, Nov 08 2009 

Published: January 14, 2009 12:57 am    print this story  

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

By Mark Scheer
E-mail Mark

Lockport Union-Sun & Journal

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.

print this story  



autoconx
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Featured Jobs

Nursing
NURSING. ElderWood Senior Care, "Care Without Compromise". We invite you to stop by and learn how you can become part of...>MORE

Customer Service
Customer Service
CARPET CLEANING
$400-$600/week
Our customers have cleaning fever. Openings for men & wom
...>MORE

Nursing
NURSING. RN's. Up to $7500 Sign on Bonus. Thinking of a change? Consider Mount St. Mary's Hospital. Various positions av...>MORE

Job Fair
HUMAN SERVICES
JOB FAIR
For COMMUNITY MISSIONS

Program Locations/Job Opportunities
working w/c
...>MORE


MEDICAL SECRETARY: FT for Lkpt primary care office. Exp. preferred. Call/msg 807-1618...>MORE


CARPENTER: Framing, 3-5 years exp. $11-15/hr DOE. Transportation necessary. 716-689-6829...>MORE

Packers
Packers, General
Production & Assembly
1st, 2nd and 3rd shifts
Sanborn, Tonawanda
& Amherst.
Re
...>MORE

Medical Assistant
Medical Assistant for busy dermatology office. Resume to PO Box 61, E. Amherst, NY 14051...>MORE

Instructors
Join Our Team!
Would you like to work on a top performing team who is ranked 17th in the nation and have the opport
...>MORE

Substitute School Nurse
SUBSTITUTE SCHOOL Nurse, Lockport City School District, Up to $20/hr. 478-4820 ...>MORE

See all ads

Feature Autos

Chevy 2007 Impala LT
CHEVY 2007 Impala LT
25,800 mi, ext. warranty
Exc. Cond, $16,500
297-2199
...>MORE

Buick 2005 Lesabre
BUICK 2005 Lesabre Custom, excellent condition, fully loaded, $6700 or best offer, 754-4540...>MORE

Chevy 2003 Impala
CHEVY 2003 Impala
25,600 miles, loaded
Exc. Cond. $10,000/bo
297-2199
...>MORE

Dodge 2001 Neon
Dodge 2001 Neon 4 dr, auto, a/c, new tires, c/d no rust, inspected, $3900. white 860-2854...>MORE

Mazda 1995 Millenia
Mazda 1995 Millenia loaded, leather, only 26k mi. exc. cond. $2995. Best Offer
531-3548, 297-1526
...>MORE

Ford 1995 Crown Victoria
Ford 1995 Crown Victoria 4 dr, loaded, new tires must see & drive $3500. red. 860-2854...>MORE

Mercury 1999 Grand Marquis
Mercury ‘99 Grand Marquis 4 dr, leather, all options, 49k org mi., showroom cond. $6000. 860-2854, ...>MORE

VW 2001 Beetle
VW 2001 Beetle, loaded, GLX turbo, exc. cond, all service records, fun to drive, blue bk $5600, take best offer, 990-06...>MORE

See all ads

See all ads


 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2009. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index