MONTGOMERY— The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs received notice that an additional $5.4 million will be available to help low-income families with home energy bills this summer.
The funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is the final portion of ADECA’s 2014 allocation for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. In December, Governor Robert Bentley awarded $39.3 in LIHEAP funds to 22 community action agencies throughout the state. The agencies are now using that funding to provide temporary assistance with electric and gas bills with priority given to the elderly, people with disabilities and families with young children.
“Colder-than-usual temperatures this winter underscore the need for emergency help with home energy bills for low-income elderly
Governor Robert Bentley
residents and others living on extremely limited budgets,” Bentley said. “I encourage anyone needing assistance to contact their local community action agency.”
Community action agencies use the funds to provide one-time help for high heating bills in the winter and high cooling bills in the summer. Residents seeking LIHEAP assistance must apply to local community action agencies. Eligibility is based on income, family size and available resources. If applications are approved, payments are made directly to the utility companies on behalf of residents.
A portion of the funds also supports the Weatherization Assistance Program, which reduces energy bills long term by improving the energy efficiency of houses that qualify for the program.
Here is a list of community action agencies, the counties they serve and contact information:
• Community Action Partnership of Huntsville/Madison and Limestone Counties Inc. (Madison and Limestone) Phone: 256-851-9800
• Community Service Programs of West Alabama Inc. (Bibb, Choctaw, Fayette, Greene, Lamar, Tuscaloosa, Sumter) Phone: 205-752-5429
• Walker County Community Action Agency Inc. (Walker) Phone: 205-221-4010
• Pickens County Community Action Committee and Community Development Corp. Inc. (Pickens) Phone: 205-367-8166
• Organized Community Action Program Inc. (Bullock, Butler, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Lowndes, Pike) Phone: 334-566-1712
• Community Action Agency of Northwest Alabama Inc. (Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale) Phone: 256-766-4330
• Community Action Agency of Northeast Alabama Inc. (Blount, Cherokee, DeKalb, Jackson, Marshall, St. Clair) Phone: 256-638-4430
• Community Action Partnership of North Alabama Inc. (Cullman, Lawrence, Morgan) Phone: 256-355-7843
• Montgomery Community Action Agency (Montgomery) Phone: 334-263-3474
• Mobile Community Action Inc. (Mobile, Washington) Phone: 251-457-5700
• Marion-Winston Counties Community Action Committee Inc. (Marion, Winston) Phone: 205-921-4224
• Macon-Russell Community Action Agency Inc. (Macon, Russell) Phone: 334-727-6100
• Jefferson County Committee for Economic Opportunity (Jefferson) Phone: 205-327-7500
• Human Resource Development Corp. (Barbour, Coffee, Geneva, Henry, Houston) Phone: 334-347-0881
• Hale Empowerment and Revitalization Organization Inc. (Hale) Phone: 334-624-0842 • Community Action of Etowah County Inc. (Etowah) Phone: 256-546-9271
• Elmore/Autauga Community Action Committee Inc. (Autauga, Dallas, Elmore, Perry) Phone: 334-567-4361
• Eleventh Area of Alabama Opportunity Action Committee Inc. (Chilton, Shelby) Phone: 205-755-1204
• Community Action Committee Inc. of Chambers-Tallapoosa-Coosa (Chambers, Tallapoosa, Coosa) Phone: 256-825-4287
• Community Action Agency of South Alabama (Baldwin, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Marengo, Monroe, Wilcox) Phone: 251-626-2646
• Alabama Council on Human Relations Inc. (Lee) Phone: 334-821-8336
• Community Action Agency of Talladega, Clay, Randolph, Calhoun, and Cleburne Counties (Calhoun, Clay, Cleburne, Randolph, Talladega) Phone: 256-362-6611
Full contact information for each agency can be found at www.caaalabama.org/agency-list.php
MEDIA RELEASE/ALABAMA DEPARTMET OF ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS/Contact: Mike Presley, Larry Childers
