With the winter season officially here, eligible households can still apply for a program to help with heating their homes.

Greene County New Opportunities Coordinator Teresa Lansman says about 300 families have signed up so far for the Low Income Heating Assistance Program (LIHEAP), when typically there are between 450 and 500 households that utilize the program on an annual basis. She tells Raccoon Valley Radio that she expects that there will be more households submitting applications, with utility rates on the rise.

“The cost for utility bills keeps going up and this program just kind of helps to take a little of the edge off (of higher heating bills), while also protecting from being disconnected until April 1st.” 

Lansman points out that she is continually seeing new families using LIHEAP this year.

“I’m seeing families that are struggling because of job changes and the families are ever changing. I see several families living together because number one, finding houses; and number two, more incomes in one household kind of helps, and helps to fill in the gaps (of) different places.” 

Lansman says only qualified households that are within the federal poverty level guidelines can qualify to apply for LIHEAP. She adds that in order to apply, families must bring all Social Security cards for everyone in the household, proof of income with either a pay stub or this past year’s income tax return, and the last 30 days of a utility billing statement. Call Lansman at 515-386-2719 or stop by her office at 1401 North Elm Street in Jefferson.