WHEREAS, The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
is a federally funded program which enables the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to help low-income residents meet their home heating needs; and
WHEREAS, LIHEAP is administered by the Department of Public Welfare
and consists of three components: cash benefits to help eligible low-income residents pay for their home heating fuel; crisis payments, if needed, to resolve weather-related, supply shortage, and other household energy-related emergencies; and energy conservation and weatherization measures to address long-range solutions to the home-heating problems of low-income households; and
WHEREAS, The state’s Fiscal Year 2002 plan calls for the program to open on November 13, 2001 with the cash component closing on January 31, 2002 and the crisis component closing on March 15, 2002; and
WHEREAS, LIHEAP is not a public assistance program, eligible low-income households will not have liens placed on their property, nor will other assets affect their eligibility for LIHEAP benefits, eligibility for public assistance and grant amounts is not affected by receipt of LIHEAP benefits; and
WHEREAS, The Department of Public Welfare will maintain the minimum cash component benefit of $50 to allow for the continuation of efforts to provide a meaningful benefit level to Pennsylvania’s most needy LIHEAP households and a maximum crisis component benefit of $300; and
WHEREAS, The Department of Public Welfare will maintain the income limit of 135 percent of the federal poverty income guidelines which will allow for the retention of a meaningful benefit level to LIHEAP households and ensures that the most needy are being served; and
WHEREAS, The Philadelphia Gas Works is working with the Philadelphia County Assistance Office, the City of Philadelphia, the Utility Emergency Services Fund and the Energy Coordinating Agency of Philadelphia to provide consumers with information on the availability of federal grants and ways to conserve energy by holding an annual energy assistance briefing to provide information on grants, available neighborhood resources, PGW payment plans and energy conservation; and
WHEREAS, The Philadelphia Gas Works will work with elected officials, members of the clergy, Philadelphia public and parochial schools, and various community organizations to communicate the ways in which low-income consumers can get help this winter for their energy bills; now therefore
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Declare November as “Energy Help Awareness Month” and recognize the importance of providing appropriate information to encourage needy residents to obtain assistance to help pay their utility bills, especially during the winter months.
RESOLVED FURTHER, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Commend the Philadelphia Gas Works and all organizations that are involved in this effort to provide important information to low-income consumers.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Tom Knudsen, Interim President and CEO of the Philadelphia Gas Works, as an expression of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.
End