AUGUSTA - Rep. Raegan LaRochelle, D-Augusta, introduced a measure Tuesday that would help eligible households in Maine access heating assistance from existing funds in Maine State Housing Authority's Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP).
LD 2006 directs the Maine State Housing Authority to establish the HEAP Administrative Efficiency Fund and to use state-provided funds for the purpose of improving application waiting and approval times by hiring temporary workers, purchasing technology or contracting with a third party. The funds may also be used for providing resources to establish a long-term system to efficiently process HEAP applications in future years.
Pandemic-related relief funds have placed more money in heating assistance than ever before, but many in need have been unable to access these funds in a timely manner due to significant delays in processing and approving applications.
"As a new legislator, one of the issues I've been hearing most about is the rapidly rising price of energy," said LaRochelle. "Just in the last couple of weeks, we have seen the price of home heating oil jump 20%. When needed assistance exists but cannot be easily accessed, we must look for solutions to address the issue at its core. My hope is that this bill can first help those in immediate need, and aid in the creation of a better system for those with a future need."
The bill received support from the Maine Community Action Partnerships, Maine Center for Economic Policy and Maine State Housing Authority.
"We know that many low-income families are struggling to cover their basic household expenses, particularly during this cold winter," said Maura Pillsbury from the Maine Center for Economic Policy. "The U.S. Census Bureau's most recent survey found that 78% of Maine households with annual incomes below $50,000 had difficulty paying for usual household expenses in the last week. This comes as the cost of heating fuel has dramatically increased."
The measure also directs the Maine State Housing Authority to convene a working group to investigate ways to improve and increase the efficiency of the assistance program in the long term. The working group must include one or more individuals who have used the program.
The Labor and Housing Committee will hold a work session on LD 2006 in the coming weeks.
LaRochelle is serving her first term in the Maine House and sits on the Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business Committee.
Contact:
Jackie Merrill [LaRochelle] c. 812-1111