Expanded home heating assistance available
Friday, October 10, 2008(Retiree Roadrunner)
Expanded home heating assistance
available
New Haven
Register
October 10, 2008
http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2008/10/10/news/a3-ctheataid06.txt
State lawmakers and members of a nationwide retirees group have launched a public outreach champaign to make senior citizens as well as low- and moderate-income families aware of expanded home heating assistance offerings.
The goal of the campaign, which was announced on Monday at a Hartford news conference, is “to reach out to as many families as possible before the winter sets in,” said state Sen. Donald Williams, D-Brooklyn.
The public education campaign will include a series of statewide meetings, some of which will be run by state Senate Democrats while others will be conducted by the Connecticut Alliance for Retired Americans, the local chapter of a national group affiliated AFL-CIO and other labor unions.
The first of the forums in the New Haven area will take place Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the Hearth at Gardenside, 173 Alps Road in Branford, said Williams spokesman Derek Slap.
The state’s General Assembly passed two comprehensive energy assistance bills Aug. 22 that will deliver more than $75 million in aide to senior citizens and families across Connecticut.
“Real assistance is available to low- and middle-income families,” said state Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney, D-New Haven. “Now the challenge is making sure that all eligible families ... know what benefits are available.”
The major components of the energy assistance legislation include:
Ç$14 million to expand Operation Fuel to provide emergency home heating aid to help additional low- and moderate-income families.
Ç$4 million to provide home heating assistance to residents age 65 and older within certain income limits.
Ç$35 million for an energy contingency account that can be used for heating assistance.
Ç$5 million for homeowners to purchase energy-efficient furnaces and boilers.
Additional information can be found at www.senatedems.ct.gov/energy.