Calling on Pennsylvania's Department of Public Welfare to continue the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) until all of its federally appropriated money is spent this year on helping low-income residents with their home heating needs.

WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare (DPW) administers LIHEAP, which consists of the following components: cash benefits given to low-income households for their home heating fuel; crisis payments to resolve weather related, supply shortage and other household energy emergencies,

including immanent loss of heating due to inability to pay

; and energy conservation and weatherization measures to address long-range solutions to home-heating problems faced by low-income households; and

WHEREAS, The Federal Government each year appropriates money for LIHEAP to Pennsylvania’s Department of Public Welfare to distribute within various regions of the Commonwealth. For FY 2002-2003, the

Federal LIHEAP appropriation

LIHEAP budget

for Pennsylvania was approximately $

1

36 million; and

WHEREAS, DPW began its LIHEAP services on November 12, 2002 and

it

is expected

that

their services

will close

stop

on March 27, 2003;

While DPW may decide to extend LIHEAP into early April, the state may still have a monetary windfall that it can carry over into next year’s budget;

and

WHEREAS, For FY 2001-2002, DPW

closed the program having over

still had approximately

$10 million

in

of

unspent LIHEAP money in their budget, which

to

carr

ied

y

over into their FY 2002-2003 budget; and

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania has received additional LIHEAP monies for use in this FY 2002-2003

; and

WHEREAS, Hundreds of thousands of low-income residents and seniors in Philadelphia have suffered through one of the

most severe

worst

winter

s

’s

in the city’s history

and now face insurmountable energy bills and a loss of gas and electric heating service in a matter of weeks

without having any idea when it will end, nor the resources to combat it if it continues much longer

; and

WHEREAS, LIHEAP

as a matter of public policy as well as conscience

should continue to operate until all of its federally appropriated money

reaches

is spent on these

this City’s

low-income residents and seniors

for whom these federal funds were intended

who need to protect themselves from possible colder days to come

; and

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That Pennsylvania’s Department of Public Welfare continue

2002-2003

LIHEAP

Program Year

until all of its federally appropriated LIHEAP money is spent for FY 2002-2003.

End