EVERETT — Snohomish County is getting $400,000 in federal grant money to help low-income families pay their heating bills, county officials announced Monday.
The new money will allow the county’s Energy Assistance office to issue grants to struggling county residents through April. All told, the office estimates it will pay out grants of $2.2 million this winter.
The county had been in danger of having to close its doors before the winter ended.
“We said we needed help serving a growing populace with energy needs, and our delegates supplied us with additional funding,” County Executive Aaron Reardon said in a statement.
The congressional delegation responded by bringing home the extra money, he said.
At the beginning of the year, county officials worried they would run short because funding for the federally funded Low Income Home Energy Assistance program stayed flat while the cost of heating a home shot up.
The new $400,000 should allow the county to help 900 extra families this winter season, county officials said. The county now expects to help up to 5,000 families pay their heating bills this winter. To qualify, Snohomish County PUD customers typically need to have a household income at or below 125 percent of the federal poverty level. Currently, a four-person household making less than $2,151 a month qualifies for assistance.
Call 425-388-3880 to make an appointment with the Energy Assistance office. Also call 211, the community information line, for more information on other ways to get help.
“It’s our department’s goal to serve all Snohomish County residents in need, and while that looked doubtful at one point this winter, it will happen with this extra money,” Cindy Hart, the county’s acting human services director, said in a statement. “We are very appreciative of these funds because they will assure we have adequate resources to cover the most urgent energy needs the remainder of this heating season.”
Reporter Lukas Velush: 425-339-3449 lvelush@heraldnet.com.
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