Bredesen announces more help for poor with heating bills

MEMPHIS, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? The state is adding $5 million to its fund for helping the poor and disabled pay heating bills and hopes to raise $2 million more from Tennessee churches, Gov. Phil Bredesen said Wednesday.

The money will be added to $21 million the state already gets from the federal government for utility-bill assistance.

Heating bills are expected to increase by 50 percent this year, putting a heavy strain on the state’s poorest residents, Bredesen said, adding that he may have to ask the Legislature for more money if fuel costs continue to climb.

“There are people out there who are living awfully close to the edge … and this is a thing they have no choice in. You have to heat your home,” Bredesen said.

Bredesen said he will get the initial $5 million from money unexpectedly left over from a budget for processing TennCare applications.

“I think the thing to do with this is, let’s take a large step forward. Let’s see where we are and then when the Legislature comes back, we can fine tune this program and see if we need to do something additional,” Bredesen said.

The governor said he will ask churches and faith-based organizations for donations for his “Operation Warm Homes TN” program. The general public can help, too, by calling 1-800-523-2863 or mailing donations to Operation Warm Homes TN at P.O. Box 440225, Nashville, TN 37244.

The governor’s office has set up a Web site for the program at http://www.WarmHomesTN.org.

The assistance will be processed through the federally funded Low Income Home Emergency Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, administered by the state Department of Human Services.

More than 71,000 Tennessee households got help through that program last year but many more will likely need assistance as fuel prices increase, Bredesen said.

“Every one of us is going to think twice about kicking up the thermostat a notch or two this winter, but some Tennesseans, particularly the lower-income elderly, families with young children and the disabled, will struggle more than most to keep their homes warm,” the governor said.

Applicants for the help must have incomes at 25 percent above federal poverty guidelines, or about $12,000 a year for an individual and about $24,000 for a family of four.

Bredesen said the state’s response in helping Gulf Coast evacuees of Hurricane Katrina convinced him that faith-based groups in Tennessee would also offer assistance for the poor squeezed by high heating costs.

“There were any number of organizations and churches that stepped forward, and I think just seeing that in action in our state reminded me one more time that we have a wonderful community out there that you can turn when these kinds of things happen,” Bredesen said.

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On the Net:

Operation Warm Homes TN: http://www.WarmHomesTN.org.