This last round of a federally-funded program has wrapped up, which several Greene County households depend on, but changes to staffing could make local impacts.

Greene County New Opportunities Coordinator Teresa Lansman says the Low Income Heating Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) served 430 county households last year which helps families with money to offset the higher costs of heating in a home, along with guaranteeing the heat stays on from November 1st-April 1st. She stresses the importance of this program has supported families by giving them relief, especially when the holiday seasons happen.

Following the announcement from earlier this year when the Trump Administration was cutting all personnel that handle LIHEAP, Lansman describes her initial reaction as very nervous. She admits that when she finally found out that the funding would instead be handled by each state, it allowed her to take a step back and reflect. Lansman notes that she feels bad for the clients that hear both good and bad news, along with an assortment of scams, to trust and budget on a low or a fixed income. 

Lansman voices some concern when registrations open this October for the disabled and elderly and for all other eligible households this fall because the crisis money was very small this last round which caused some difficulties for clients who needed a little extra help. She was encouraged that the number of households was down for LIHEAP compared to the previous year, but also concerned because LIHEAP is based on usage.