Senator Neil D. Breslin Announces Home Heating Assistance Program

October 30, 2009

(Albany, New York)- The cold weather season is often feared by many families because of the need to heat their homes. Often times heating costs are high and become a significant financial burden to many New York residents. Senator Breslin is pleased to announce the availability of the federally funded, Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP).

HEAP is a federally funded program that assists low-income households in meeting their immediate home energy needs. The Obama Administration is providing $359 million for home energy assistance to households across the state.

“The ability to heat your home can literally mean the difference between life and death. We will maintain our commitment to helping families in these difficult economic times and assisting the most vulnerable among us,” said Senator Neil D. Breslin (D- Delmar). “It is important that New Yorkers know this program is available and take full advantage of the funding it provides.”

In New York, almost a third of HEAP households have a household member aged 60 or older.  Funds are targeted to households with the lowest income that pay a high proportion of household income for home energy. 

Households are eligible for benefits if their total gross monthly income is at or below 60 percent of the State median income. Assistance is also available if the household is in an emergency situation – without heating fuel, running low on fuel or having heat-related utility service currently disconnected or scheduled for disconnection. Eligible homeowners whose primary heating system is inoperable and in need of repair or replacement can also qualify.

The HEAP program is supervised in New York by the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance and is administered at the local level by local departments of social services.

For more information, visit http://www.otda.state.ny.us/main/heap.

###