PHOTO: Beginning Monday, Nov. 16, representatives from the city Human Resources Administration will be available at Borough Hall to directly assist people with HEAP applications. File Photo
Borough President Melinda Katz announced this week that residents in need of financial assistance to help heat their homes this winter are encouraged to come to her office at Queens Borough Hall to apply for help from the Home Energy Assistance Program starting on Monday, Nov. 16. HEAP is a federally funded grant program that helps low-income homeowners and renters defray the cost of heating fuel. Eligible recipients can receive up to several hundred dollars per year to offset their bills.
“Queens has felt some bitter cold in recent winters,” Katz said. “Such conditions may be uncomfortable for most, but they can be harmful and even deadly to the elderly and to other vulnerable people. Fortunately, those who have a tough time affording the cost of heating their homes can apply to the HEAP program for important and potentially life-saving financial assistance.”
Beginning Nov. 16, 2015 through March 15, 2016, representatives from the City Human Resources Administration will be available to directly assist people with applications Monday through Wednesday from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM in Katz’ office at 120-55 Queens Boulevard (Room 225). No appointments will be accepted, but walk-in applicants will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis. Multi-language assistance is available.
Individuals must apply for HEAP benefits annually. That means someone who received a HEAP grant last year must re-apply again during this application period to receive benefits for the coming winter. This year a family of four with a gross monthly income of $ $4,316 or less is eligible for benefits. The income threshold will increase or decrease depending on the size of a household.
Assistance is available to those who currently receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, Temporary Assistance, or Code A Supplemental Security Income. U.S. citizens as well as qualified immigrants can get HEAP benefits if they meet eligibility requirements.
HEAP also has an equipment repair and replacement component that can help eligible low-income homeowners repair or replace any broken heating equipment needed to keep a home’s primary heating source functional. Grants of up to $6,500 will be awarded, based on the actual cost incurred to replace or repair an applicant’s furnace, boiler and/or other essential heating equipment. Applications for such grants can be made at the Borough Hall HEAP office or at other local HEAP offices.
Eligibility for HEAP is based on a point-system that factors in household income, percent of income spent on energy costs, and the presence of vulnerable individuals (i.e. children under the age of six, adults aged 60 years or older, and those with a permanent disability). Applicants visiting the HEAP office must bring a copy of a recent utility bill as well as documentation verifying their income and rent and the date-of-birth and social security number of each household member. A checklist of the documents that must be brought to the application process is available at http://www1.nyc.gov/assets. Additional details can be obtained by calling Katz’s HEAP office at 718-286-2899 or the City’s HEAP hotline at 800-692-0557.
By Forum Staff
