By Staff
LANSING – The Department of Human Services has announced that it is out of funds for energy crisis assistance for fiscal year 2007.
Individuals receiving home heating credits will continue to receive assistance through September, but new applications for energy crisis assistance will be denied due to lack of funds.
DHS has provided low-income residents $45.7 million for crisis assistance since October 2006.
About $1.9 million goes to Michigan families each week.
Energy programs help families by providing home heating credits to low-income households to pay energy bills and crisis assistance to prevent shutoffs or make emergency repairs.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm, along with 34 other governors, in February signed a letter urging Washington to restore the $1 billion cut from LIHEAP in fiscal year 2007.
The Michigan Senate and House adopted non-binding resolutions urging the funds to be released.
The resolution also protested the proposed $380 million cut to LIHEAP federal funds in 2008.
Michigan could receive as much as $47 million less in coming years under these proposals.
Reduced funding will further limit energy assistance for Michigan families.
"For many Michigan families, it is a choice of whether to heat or to eat," DHS Director Marianne Udow said. "I can only add my voice to the many Michigan leaders, including Gov. Granholm, who urged the president to release emergency LIHEAP funds."
In fiscal year 2006, there were 389,561 Michigan low-income households that received an average payment of $193 in the home heating credit.
Another 108,895 households received an average payment of $488 for emergency payments for heat and energy costs.
Another 799 households received an average payment of $1,071 for emergency energy-related repairs. Funding for LIHEAP was at an all-time high in 2006.
"Hundreds of thousands of Michigan families rely on energy assistance," Udow said. "Energy costs continue to rise and families in low-income households are facing few choices."
For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dhs.