RRACAP programs warm homes and hearts

“Right now what we have going is the Energy Assistance Program,” Hansen said. “Which is for low income families. In the event that they are approved, it allots a dollar amount to go toward their main heat source in their home.”

For a household of one person, said person must make no more than $16,755 to qualify. The amounts vary depending on household size, but the other qualifiers remain the same. There must be proof of income for all house members over the age of 19. Social Security numbers for all members of the household, three months’ worth of recent check stubs or an award letter from Social Security or a recent tax return form.

RRACAP also offers a rental fund, but unfortunately they don’t have the funding for it this year.

“We just ran out of the rental fund,” Hansen said. “We’re hoping to get more, but they haven’t told us anything additional on that yet. It (the fund) assisted low income families with a one-time rent (payment) to help them get back on their feet. It was just for a month, but then we ran out of that in November.”

The program was a yearly program, and participants had to apply each year that it was offered if they wanted to benefit from it. In the Jasper County office, Dahlman was in charge of that program before it ended. Hansen, who is in her first year as the county director, writes the grants and heads up the Energy Assistance Program.

“We run the energy assistance until April 30, then we start back up again in October,” Hansen said. “If we have the funding we can help people with disconnects during the summer months. It just depends on the funding. If we don’t, then we’ll start doing stuff for next year and put people on the Early Applicants (list). It’s for folks that have applied this year that are on a fixed income and they get their applications a little early and make sure their information is correct and get them ready for October.”