Residents Seeking Heating Assistance Can Schedule Appointments Starting Today

Marion County residents expecting a struggle with home energy costs this winter can receive information about the federal Low Income Housing Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) beginning today. 

LIHEAP provides payment assistance to individuals or families struggling to pay heating and cooling costs—eligible households earn below 150 percent of the federal poverty level.

Past LIHEAP recipients have already been mailed information about this winter. Residents who haven’t received help in the past, but think they may eligible, need to schedule an appointment, says the United Way’s Christie Gillespie.

"We’ll start scheduling appointments for November 3, and we will have 25 different locations where people can schedule them," Gillespie says.

Last winter was the coldest in Indiana in thirty-five years, leading to an increased demand for LIHEAP assistance and a funding shortfall by the middle of June. That limited the amount available for cooling assistance this summer.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Joseph Nield says there’s currently not enough data to indicate whether Indiana is in for a similar winter this year. 

"There’s really not much of a signal either way," Nield says. "Just to our north and especially over the northwestern part of the country, there’s a stronger signal that it will be slightly above normal. But unfortunately here, the signal just isn’t clear." 

Marion County residents who think they may qualify for LIHEAP assistance can schedule an appointment by calling 2-1-1 or going to indyeap.org.