Northern New England usually starts to feel the chill around the Fall month of October and sticks around till about mid way through the Spring month of April. This is how long these states have to keep up with heating costs. When the temperature drops pipes freeze, burst and this can become a very costly event. Safety is another concern during the winter months in New England. A horrible domino effect.
The first briefs of the Obama Administration FY 2012 cuts were reported by National Journal. The Obama administration is playing with the idea of cutting L.I.H.E.A.P (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Programs). Thousands of homes all over the United States rely on this program to make ends meet during the cold months in the Northern parts of the Country and the sweltering months in the southern part of the country.
Currently L.I.H.E.A.P. is funded at the $5.1 billion level and this is barely enough during these STILL, economic hard times. Fuel prices are up and down and the cost of living just keeps sky rocketing. There is talk about cutting this program back between $2.5-$3 billion.
I help disperse these funds and I can not fathom what would happen to my New England neighbors if they unable to heat their homes. A basic necessity for a human is a home. Without heat, you are homeless. At least in NH we have RSA-165, as for the other New Englander's.....I think the Obama Administaration might want to think about the available alternatives once we start having a massive amount of homeless households (currently the gov't is talking about cutting back Homeless Program and subsidized housing monies) if funding is cut back as much as is being discussed.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/09/obama-poor-energy-cuts-kerry-letter_n_821061.html
http://www.nationaljournal.com/whitehouse/exclusive-obama-to-cut-energy-assistance-for-the-poor-20110209?mrefid=mostViewed
