The number of heating assistance applications to the Orange County Fuel Fund this winter has reached 24 as of Dec. 20, according to Michele McKeon, chief operating officer for the Regional Economic Community Action Program (RECAP).
Last winter, the number of total applicants was just 33.
RECAP runs the fuel fund in partnership with the county government.
Even as applications surge, many needy families—mainly veterans and seniors—are still unaware of the program and the fact that they qualify for help, according to RECAP Chief Operating Officer Charles Quinn.
“It’s their tax dollars, and I really encourage them to apply for it,” Quinn said at a Dec. 20 press conference to bring awareness to the fund.
The fund’s primary purpose is to help families who need heating relief but are overqualified for the federal heating assistance program called HEAP.
Orange County is one of few New York counties with such a program.
This year, in anticipation of the rising inflation and costs of living, the county legislature added another $60,000 to the fund and raised the income threshold to 20 percent above the federal limit.
For example, the maximum monthly income for a family of four is $5,485 for HEAP but $6,582 for the county program.
Each qualified applicant can receive up to $800 from the fund.
“It’s always been a safety net thing, and now we are expanding that safety net—it is more important this year than ever,” said Peter Tuohy, one of the county legislators that spearheaded the legislative move.
County Executive Steven Neuhaus said: “Inflation is a tax on the poor. When we raise those percentages, we give those who have to make decisions between food and heat a little bit of breathing room.”
Neuhaus added that he was open to pouring more money into the fund if needed.
As for HEAP, over 5,000 county residents have applied for it since November, doubling that of last season, according to County Department of Social Services Commissioner Darcie Miller.
Miller said her department forwarded nonqualified HEAP applications to RECAP for consideration for the county fuel fund.
“They do the same back to us for anyone who meets the criteria for HEAP, so it is really a good partnership,” Miller said.
More information about the fuel fund can be found at ocff.azurewebsites.net.
Questions about the fund can be answered at 845-421-6255 or emailed to mcontes@recap.org.
Cara is an Orange County, New York-based Epoch Times reporter. She can be reached at cara.ding@epochtimes.com
