Corzine promotes relief for heat-less families
Gov. Jon S. Corzine visited New Brunswick yesterday to speak on the issue of heating assistance for low-income individuals.
Corzine decided to provide more relief and recovery programs to people who cannot afford heat during the winter due to the rising prices of heating oil and other fuels, said the Rev. Bruce Davidson, the director of the Lutheran Office of Governmental Ministry in New Jersey and co-convener of Anti-Poverty Network.
"It all fits together, but this is a very important piece because people are hurting now and we need to make sure that we are taking steps that address some of those problems the best we can," Corzine said.
Many people must shut off their heat to pay for other bills, resulting in respiratory illnesses or the use of space heaters and candles, which are not safe, he said.
The people most affected are low wageworkers, seniors who live solely on fixed income, people with disabilities and those with low income, Davidson said.
Corzine said the programs will focus on three major pieces of the poverty puzzle: creating a bridge to reach out to those most distressed by the ailing economy, helping food banks that are running low and aiding the housing situation in terms of foreclosures and heating assistance.
He said his plans include creating more jobs for the short term and installing more long-term recovery programs.
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program is one program that provides heating for low-income households and the elderly during extreme conditions, according to their Web site.
Corzine said the LIHEAP recently received an additional $10 million in funding, which allowed the government to raise the eligibility standards for the program.
Another program aimed at the heating crisis is N.J. Shares, which gives energy assistance for households that are not traditionally eligible for such assistance, such as the recently unemployed or those who cannot work due to illness, according to NJshares.org.
He said one important factor in heating assistance is the partnership among the executive, the legislature and community-based organizations, such as New Brunswick's own Puerto Rican Action Board, which works directly with the needs of the city's citizens.
"They have a weatherization program that is working with our long-run energy efficiency programs to go into a community so that we're using less fuel and saving money at the same time," Corzine said.
The weatherization program, which also runs in the summer to provide air conditioning, provides energy efficiency techniques such as insulation so heat is not lost and the money received is not going to waste, said N.J. Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Joseph Doria, who will be administering the programs.
"This is a significant decision on the part of the government to cover more families in the state," Doria said. "What this will mean is that 50,000 more families will be eligible for heating assistance this year."
This assistance not only covers heating by oil, natural gas and electricity, but also by propane and wood, which is used by many residents in the rural areas of New Jersey.
He also said the amount of money they will receive for aid will also increase, as there is now $185 million in funding available for use.
Doria said the government can now cover 48 percent of the annual costs to heat a home by oil, 73 percent by natural gas and 64 percent by electricity for those covered by the heat assistance programs.
He said the application for these programs is now easier and more efficient for those involved, and he encouraged all to apply.
One group that will greatly benefit from this new proposal is those who live in manufactured, or mobile, homes, said Sherri Williams, the president of the Manufactured Homes Association of New Jersey.
These homes were built on standards that are more than 40 years old and were not intended as the permanent residences they are today, Williams said. They are poorly built, and heat is often wasted.
Williams said he hopes that with this new program, her residents no longer have to forgo paying for other bills, food or their medications just to provide heat for the winter.
"It's a sad commentary that people are working hard and playing by the rules but are still struggling to survive," said Sen. Barbara Buono, the chair of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, who is working on the issue of heating for low-income families.
She said there is an increase in the amount of jobs lost, resulting in a rise of anxiety for all citizens.
"Gov. Corzine's actions taken today and over the next month with his economic stimulus and stabilization plan [show that] — in partnership with the legislature — this is the government taking their responsibility of stepping in and doing more so people don't fall through the cracks," Buono said.
