WESTSIDE — Enrollment in the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program has begun, according to Peg Palmer, coordinator at the Office for Human Concern in Rogers.

The program offers assistance for those who qualify by helping pay electricity and gas bills, as well as purchasing propane gas or firewood.

Applications may be made in person at the OHC office, 506 East Spruce St., Rogers. They are also available at Senior Citizen Centers, including the Billy V. Hall Center in Gravette. Applications may also be secured by mail by calling the OHC office, 636-7301, Palmer said.

In addition, a representative from OHC will be traveling to senior centers in the three county (Benton, Madison and Carroll) area served by the agency.

The visit to the center in Gravette will be Feb. 25 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Applications for the Crisis Energy Program, which begins Feb. 4, are also being taken at this time, the coordinator said.

Documentation Needed

Palmer said the following documentation must be supplied. This includes a copy of the utility bill or shut-off notice, documentation on who lives in the household and either paycheck stubs from the previous month or unemployment records.

If children are in the home but both biological parents are not, documentation from the Office of Child Support Enforcement is also required.

The assistance is based on maximum monthly income levels which are adjusted by state formula and include household size and income levels as follows:

One person, $1,481; two persons, $1,937; three persons, $2,393; four persons, $2,849; five persons, $3,305; six persons, $3,760.

Palmer emphasized that persons should not wait for a shut-off notice that qualifies them for the crisis energy program.

Applications may also be made for a home weatherization program. To qualify, property owners or renters must be at 200 percent of the poverty level.

The weatherization program has improved about 50 homes since last spring, and there is a waiting list. But applications are still being accepted, Palmer said.

Opinion, Pages 8 on 01/30/2013