State lawmakers vote to spend 13.5 million dollars to help low income households pay for winter heat. The move marks the first time the state has ever supplemented federal low income fuel assistance aid.
The proposal earmarks 10 million dollars for heating fuel aid…….Another 3.5 million dollars will go towards defraying increased electric bills…………Under the six month plan, the fuel aid money will come from the state's surplus, the electric aid, meanwhile, will be redirected from the state's energy efficiency program……. Speaking moments before the Senate passed the plan by voice vote, Senate majority leader Bob Clegg said the proposal was a needed short term-fix to a problem with potentially lethal consequences.
"Someone told the story of meals on the wheels
Showing up to deliver a meal and finding the person they were delivering the mean to had frozen to death. Hopefully by coming together, we've avoided that…….And I appreciated that everyone worked together and not once during this process did I hear what party someone was in."
The tone was much the same in the house…….The only rancor, such as it was, was directed towards Washington…..So far congress has only approved about half of the 33 million dollars the state eatimated the program will spend this winter……. More federal money could be forthcoming, but lawmakers say even under the best case scenario, it would not likely be enough. Concord House democrat John DeJoie.
"There is additional money in the budget reconciliation act. We hope it goes through, we expect it should but we can't guarantee it……NH the way it looks today is looking at 7 million dollars from the feds……We're still about 10 million dollars short."
But even with, the additional state money, it's far from clear if the total funding will meet existing need.
"This will get us maybe to about 2/3rds or where we ought to be."
Gale Hennessy is executive director of Southern NH Services, the largest of the six community action agencies where low income fuel aid vouchers are distributed. He says the need could easily surpass 30,000 families. And with aid amounts averaging to slightly under six hundred dollars, Hennsssy says there will be plenty of families still stretched to the limit.
"And that is the one time benefit for the year…..For many families it's the make or break kind of impact that porevents them from having the scrimp on food medicine that kind of thing."
When the legislature reconveiene in January, fuel assistance will again be on the agenda…The proposal includes an oversight committee charged with recommending policies to address spiraling fuel costs……The weather, of course, remains a wild card……And in the event the additional state aid is not needed, it would return to the state treasury.
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Google
Yahoo