EATONTOWN — Families who need help to pay their utility bills can still access help from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
Donna M. Blaze, CEO of the Affordable Housing Alliance based in Eatontown, has announced that federal funding is still available for LIHEAP. The program provides assistance to families, the disabled and the elderly.
“During extreme weather, people should not have to choose between buying fuel to heat their homes and buying food or medications for themselves or their families,” said Blaze in a press release.
Nationally, LIHEAP is administered by approved agencies, such as the Affordable Housing Alliance, and was designed to provide assistance with a minimum of government bureaucracy.
According to Blaze, the Affordable Housing Alliance will streamline the LIHEAP application process using trained counselors to help clients navigate quickly through the qualification and application process. Even those who have previously applied elsewhere can be quickly recertified, she said.
LIHEAP can make a difference for families and individuals struggling to make ends meet and they are urged to contact the alliance for assistance.
Affordable Housing Alliance counselors are available to bring LIHEAP information to senior citizen groups, houses of worship and other community organizations. The alliance also administers the New Jersey SHARES utility assistance program for those families earning more than LIHEAP allows. To find out more about LIHEAP, call 732-389-2204.
The Affordable Housing Alliance is a nonprofit committed to developing affordable housing options and providing programs and services such as first-time home buyer assistance, foreclosure counseling and home rental assistance and help with utility bills for residents of Monmouth and Ocean counties. For more information, visit www.housingall.org.