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County urging winter preparations now

Hudson-Catskill Newspapers

COLUMBIA COUNTY — Fall just arrived, but according to County Social Services Commissioner Paul Mossman, the time to start thinking winter is now.

The federal government recently announced that $121 million in emergency heating assistance would be released to help low-income people deal with heating bills this winter. Of this, $12 million is expected to go to New York.

“More people than ever are going to need LIHEAP assistance, and these additional funds will hopefully ensure that anyone who needs help can get it,” said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. “Nobody should have to choose between putting food on the table and heating their homes.”

But Mossman said that’s “not a lot of money if you consider it has to be divided up among all the counties in New York state. I’m anticipating more funds will be forthcoming from the federal government.”

People can now apply for weatherization and furnace repair and replacement, which will take place in October, he said.

“This round of money will be for that,” Mossman said. “I’m hoping that’s not the only money — it won’t last through December.”

“People that received HEAP last year and disabled people get applications mailed to them in the first week of September,” said Office of the Aging Director Kary Jablonka. “People bring them into our office, we pull their file from last year, we compare them and process the application.”

Last year, he said, his office did more than 400 applications in September alone. He’s working on scheduling outreach offices in both the southern and northern parts of the county to make the HEAP application process more accessible.

Some changes this year are at least headed in the right direction, according to Mossman: The maximum heating benefit for the season has been raised to $800. But at $4 a gallon, that comes out to only 200 gallons.

“If we have a severe winter, that won’t last long,” he said. “People have to start thinking not only about getting fuel oil, but how you conserve. Propane and electric have gone up: The purchasing of those compared to last year won’t go as far.”

“We’re hoping this year’s program will not only enhance funding, but increase eligibility,” Mossman said, noting the dramatic jump in fuel prices. “I’d like to see more flexibility in emergency benefits.”

New Lebanon is trying to stay ahead of the curve by doing community fundraisers for emergency heating funds.

Kathy Murnane, who chairs the Office for the Aging Advisory Committee, spearheaded the effort, Jablonka said.

“HEAP will do what it can,” he said. “The rest of it we’ll have to patch together.”

Residents should try to find ways to conserve heat when they can, through weather stripping, replacing old thermostats, looking for alternative energy sources, Mossman said.

“We have a task force together where representatives of different agencies, Board of Supervisors members, the Health Care Consortium are trying to provide information to people about conserving energy in the winter months,” Mossman said.

The plan is to get emergency contact numbers out to people to help them through emergencies.

“Now’s the time to think about winter,” he said. “Don’t wait until the first freeze. Do what you can.”

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