Governor Ivey Announces $43.8 Million for Help Heating & Cooling Homes

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey has announced grants totaling nearly $44 million to help people in need across the state afford the cost of heating and cooling their homes.

In a Tuesday press release, the governor's office said she has awarded $43.8 million to 18 different agencies to help those who are struggling to fight energy costs.

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“The cost of heating a home during the coldest parts of winter and cooling it during the hottest parts of summer can pose a challenge for those who are most vulnerable and have extremely limited incomes, Ivey said in a statement. “These grants will ensure that help is available to those who need it most during extreme weather.”

Alabama's Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program is administered through community action agencies, and Ivey said she will direct funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for this purpose.

The 18 organizations will receive the money from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.

“This program is meant to help people who have the lowest income and those who are most vulnerable, including the elderly, people with disabilities and young children,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “ADECA stands with Gov. Ivey in supporting Alabamians who are in need of this emergency assistance.”

Of the 18 agencies that will receive energy assistance funds, several serve clients here in West Alabama.

Community Service Programs of West Alabama, which serves Bibb, Choctaw, Dallas, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Lamar, Perry, Sumter, and Tuscaloosa Counties, will receive $4.27 million.

The Walker County Community Action Agency will get $623,646.

The Pickens County Community Action Committee and Community Development Corporation will receive $202,227.

That money and another $39 million will be distributed across the state to help those in greatest need pay for heating and cooling.

For more coverage of news in West Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.