Area nonprofit out of energy assistance funds

State agency holds hearing on 2016 federal grant application

Two July heatwaves came at inconvenient times for low-income families in Central Missouri.

Central Missouri Community Action, a regional nonprofit serving eight counties, ran out of its Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds the first week of this month, leaving it unable to help needy households with their cooling bills.

CMCA Executive Director Angela Hirsch said the organization has run out of LIHEAP funds around mid-July the past two years, a time when the need can be greater. Tuesday's high temperature was 98 degrees, and the heat index reached 105 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

When the organization is out of funds, Hirsch said, CMCA connects with churches and other nonprofits to fill in the gaps until a cool-down arrives. Hirsch said CMCA often partners with Common Ground, the Samaritan Center and the Salvation Army. This summer, CMCA has assisted more than 1,500 households with home energy costs, totaling more than $305,000 in LIHEAP funds. Cole County was CMCA's second-largest recipient of summer energy funds at 25 percent, affecting 307 households. Boone County took in the most at 41 percent of the CMCA total.

"The fact of the matter is there's always a greater need than what we are able to meet," Hirsch said.

The federal government allocates LIHEAP funds to each state annually. In 2014, Missouri received more than

$72 million in LIHEAP funds with $308,000 going toward CMCA. The state will submit its 2016 LIHEAP application by Sept. 1, said Heather Jones, Missouri's LIHEAP manager. The Department of Social Services held a public hearing on the draft application Tuesday and will take public comments on it until Aug. 11.

The topic is a personal one for Christopher Robinson, a CMCA intern present at the hearing. A 31-year-old St. Louis native, Robinson moved to Jefferson City to pursue a liberal arts degree in early childhood education and social services - all while raising his 9-year-old daughter. Looking at the numbers on the 53-page application, Robinson said the figures don't reflect his struggle and those of low-income families trying to pay for basic needs.

"I can't explain to (my daughter) why there is no food or why it's so hot inside the house," Robinson said. "These are things I can't explain, and these numbers can't explain that to her either."

If Congress approves President Obama's 2016 budget plan, the federal government will likely allot $68 million for statewide energy assistance needs in 2016 - a nearly $5 million decrease from the current fiscal year, Jones said. Until Congress takes the vote, the LIHEAP amount for Missouri is unknown.

The Department of Social Services' Family Services Division handles the LIHEAP funds and distributes them to 19 contracting agencies, 18 of which are through the Missouri Association for Community Action. Forty-five percent of the federal funds will be dedicated to statewide heating assistance, 25 percent to crisis assistance, 10 percent to weatherization, 10 percent to carry over to the following federal fiscal year and 10 percent for administrative and planning costs, including Missouri's program that pays heating assistance benefits.

Heating assistance, Jones said, is a one-time benefit of up to $800, depending on the fuel source, household size and income. Air conditioning needs are included within crisis assistance allocations, which prevents utility disconnection by paying an outstanding bill.

The maximum summer crisis benefit is $300. Those with illnesses or medical conditions requiring a device that uses a power source are given priority with crisis assistance, according to the application. Crisis assistance can also provide heating or cooling system repairs or replacements.

Weatherization programs can play a role in lowering energy costs, Hirsch said. CMCA and the Missouri Department of Economic Development offers weatherization services, which increases the energy efficiency of a home in the hopes of decreasing costs. Joe Gassner, director of the state's weatherization system, spoke in favor of the 10 percent allocation to weatherization included in the LIHEAP application.

Because the application was nearly identical to last year's, Hirsch said she saw no surprises and was excited that weatherization was included again. She added low-income families are more likely to live in less energy-efficient homes that lack double-pane windows and properly insulated walls, for example. Their money goes "out the window," Hirsch said, and weatherization programs can save those dollars.

"I think that's going to have the biggest impact on families - being able to weatherize their homes," Hirsch said. "That's a more long-term, permanent solution than the crisis one-time payment. That's kind of Band-Aid assistance. It's important, but it's a Band-Aid."