$41M released to aid citizens with utility costs

The Tennessee Department of Human Services recently released $40.8 million dollars in federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds to 19 community services agencies across the state.  The LIHEAP program is a year-round energy assistance program.  An individual or family must sign up with their local agency, which determines eligibility for the program.  Priority is given to individuals with disabilities, the elderly and low income families with children under 6-years old.  “The Department is pleased to partner with local community services agencies in assisting those most in need throughout our state,” said DHS Commissioner Gina Lodge. “The LIHEAP program used to be thought of as an emergency aid program or a summer or winter assistance program, with sign-up times limited to a few times a year.  The public needs to know that they can go to their local agencies any time during the year to sign up for the LIHEAP program.  Assistance will be provided as long as the funds are available.”  The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program is 100% federally funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Eligibility for LIHEAP benefits is based on established federal poverty guidelines, and documentation of household income is required. Tennesseans whose household income does not exceed 125 percent of federal poverty guidelines (that’s $25,000/year for a family of four) are potentially eligible for the program.  The assistance does not go directly to the client.  Instead, it is made in the form of a payment to the utility company or home energy provider.  If eligible, the client could receive up to two payments a year. The LIHEAP program also consists of crisis assistance.  Those eligible citizens must be served within 48 hours of application or 18 hours if the household is in a life-threatening situation. More than 60,000 Tennessee families are assisted each year through the LIHEAP program.For a list of local LIHEAP agencies where applications for heating assistance can be made, please click on the following link:http://state.tn.us/humanserv/adfam/liheap-agencies-05.pdf For more information about the Department of Human Services and its programs, please click on the following link: http://www.state.tn.us/humanserv Community Service Agency Name SFY 2006-2007 Allocation Blount County Community ActionAgency $604,646 Douglas-Cherokee Economic Authority, Inc.$2,165,224 (serving Cocke, Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson, Monroe & SevierCounties) Sequatchie Counties) Southwest Human ResourceAgency $1,965,600(serving Chester, Decatur, Hardin, Hardeman, Haywood, Henderson,Madison & McNairy Counties) Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency $2,570,476(serving Cannon, Cumberland, Dekalb, Fentress, Overton, Pickett,Putnam, Warren, White, Van Buren, Clay, Jackson, Macon & Smith Counties) Upper East Tennessee Human DevelopmentAgency $3,575,323 (serving Carter, Greene, Hancock,  Hawkins, Johnson Unicoi, Sullivan &Washington Counties) ****Allocations are based on the U.S. Census poverty level data forTennessee counties****