Heating Assistance Appointments Begin This Week

Louisvillians who are in danger of having their utilities cut off can apply for assistance this week.The second round of the Low Income Heating Assistance Program only distributes funds to utility customers who have received cutoff notices. Appointments for aid will begin Wednesday at the government center on Barrett Avenue and continue until the money runs out. Payments will begin in January.In past years, Louisville has received four million dollars for the last phase of LIHEAP. It's expected that Congress will cut that amount by about 20 percent, but the money hasn’t been allocated yet. Even if a final decision isn't made, some funds will likely be available next week.“It's not uncommon to have some allotment of money just to get the program started, then, several weeks in there might be another allotment that comes our way," says Debbie Belt with the Department of Community Services and Revitalization.Belt says there was no sudden increase in demand for the first phase of LIHEAP funding, and that's likely a sign that demand for emergency funds won't change much from last year, either.