Funds for heating aid evaporate

With the recent frigid temperatures and rising energy costs, more people are requesting help to keep warm during the winter. But agencies that run a federal aid program to help will have less money to meet the need.

For fiscal year 2011, states are facing cuts of more than $1 billion to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program — at least until March 4, said Kenneth Wolfe, spokesman for U.S. Department of Human Services Administration for Children and Families.

Last year, the program received $5.1 billion to help more than 6 million low-income households nationwide. This year, the program is expected to receive about $3.9 billion.

So far this year, Georgia has received close with $55 million compared to $100 million received last fiscal year. Tennessee has received about $45 million but was given more than $80 million for the last two years. The fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30.

Nationwide, $2.7 billion has been made available to the states, Wolfe said.

The U.S. Senate and House passed a funding bill to keep the government running until March, but because Congress hasn’t passed a full year’s appropriations bill for the current fiscal year, federal agencies haven’t had the full year’s funding to distribute to the states, he said.

Closer to home, the North Georgia Community Action Agency, which handles the energy assistance program in 10 counties including Whitfield and Catoosa, has received only $1.7 million so far, compared to the $4.6 million received last year.

This year’s contract was for a little more than $2 million, but “until the state receives more funding from the feds, we will not have the other 25 percent available to process applications,” said Deana Collins, program director for the North Georgia agency.

Georgia started to process applications for the energy assistance program on Nov. 1, but the first 30 days are for homebound and elderly recipients.

Starting Dec. 1, agencies began processing applications for the general public, but most people are being placed in an intake log to be called when funds become available.

Roy Collins, who is not related to Deana Collins, lost his job at Propex in Ringgold, Ga., almost two years ago and hasn’t been able to find another one since. Meanwhile, his wife, Dorothy, is fighting ovarian cancer and is on disability.

“I’m a 50-year-old man trying to find a job and so far the only thing I’ve found is a day or two-day jobs through various temporary agencies,” he said.

The Ringgold, Ga., couple got the good news last week that they were approved for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which means a one-time help of $350 for their electric bills.

But they were among the first ones to turn in their application at the beginning of the month.

In Catoosa County, there are 467 names in the intake log, said Cheryl Dupree, community developer for the North Georgia Community Action Agency in Ringgold.

And in Whitfield County, 723 applications have been filed since Dec. 1, said Betty Macon, senior community developer for the county. Workers have processed 75, she said.

The program in Tennessee is administered differently than in Georgia.

In Tennessee, agency officials accept applications year-round and process them every quarter. The next processing period will be in January.

Thus far, there hasn’t been any agency that reported running out of funds, according to Lisa Elam, director of Adult and Family Services Contracts in the Tennessee Department of Human Services.

“Today we are not out of money because we’ve been conservative, not knowing what was going to happen,” she said.

But the demand is certainly there.

“There are a lot of folks that have been out of work, who never needed our services before, who are asking for help,” she said.

In Chattanooga, Camilla Bibbs-Lee, director of social services/emergency services in the city’s Human Services Department, said the city received $3.6 million in fiscal year 2010 and assisted more than 4,220 households.

During this fiscal year, it has received $2.3 million and assisted about 3,600 families, she said, and has about $650,000 left.

In Bradley County, Jacqueline Smartt-Westfield, program coordinator for the Bradley-Cleveland Community Services Agency, said there still is money available, but the agency probably will run out of funds for crisis assistance — for people who are about to get their services cut off — before the end of January.

Most agencies are reporting an increase in requests this year.

In 2010, 15,215 calls to United Way’s 211 number were requests for utility assistance and, out of those, 70 percent were for electricity bills, data shows.

“It’s been a struggle and I’m hoping we will get more funds,” said Deana Collins.

About 3,700 applicants have received benefits so far this year in the 10 counties the agency serves, data shows. About 12,000 people received help during fiscal year 2010 and about 10,400 the previous year, according to state data.

In all of Georgia, more than 200,000 households received benefits during the last two fiscal years and in Tennessee, more than 130,000 households.

As more people face unemployment and face more unpredictable weather, the program becomes even more vital for local communities, officials said.

“For Georgia, it is particularly important because, for a long time, Georgia was known as a warm-weather state and, in recent years, we’ve been hit with some extremely cold weather and higher gas prices,” said Wendy Bailey-Hooks, project administrator with energy assistance for Georgia.

“People are facing economic situations where they are losing jobs, gas prices have gone up. There’s a drastic need right now in Georgia and, unfortunately, the need outweighs the funding we do receive,” she said.

Contact staff writer Perla Trevizo at ptrevizo@times freepress.com or 423- 757-6578. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/Perla_Trevizo.