CCSCT shares eligibility requirements for funding
(Seguin) — Help with your utilities is now available thanks to the Community Council of South Central Texas. The available funding for the Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program (C.E.A.P.) is being provided by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.
Now although the CCSCT has launched its light bill assistance program for the 2024 funding cycle, there are a few things that people should be aware of when applying.
Carol Delgado, community services program director for the CCSCT, says applicants should know that assistance will not be immediate and that it will take some time for the funding to be granted if approved.
“The turnaround time at the first of the year is usually anywhere from three months maybe possibly four months to complete the application process in our system because there is just so much volume coming in. So the clients that submit an application in January may not find out until March if they were qualified,” said Delgado.
Delgado says the total amount of funding has also been cut dramatically. Nonetheless, she says the program will run as usual. However, she says the CCSCT is optimistic that additional dollars will be allocated to the program later on in the year.
“This year, we received a reduction in funding. Last year, we received $10 million. This year, we received only $3 million so we are only assisting Priority One households at this time with limited amount of funding but we do still encourage anyone to apply because we may receive additional funding later in the year and we will continue to take applications and then once the funding comes in, we will have those on hand and go ahead and process them as we receive additional funds,” said Delgado.
On top of distributing funds, the program works to combine education and financial assistance to help low-income consumers reduce their utility bills. .
Delgado says the CCSCT assigns priority to households with the least amount of income and the greatest energy costs. Services include utility payment assistance for electric, natural gas, and propane.
“Anyone that is a U.S. Citizen or here legally can apply and you have to meet the income guidelines. We do go based on the federal poverty guidelines so a one person household would have to make less than $22,590 a year. A four person household would have to make under$46,800 a year in order to qualify for the program. Just provide the proof of income, your citizenship documentation and your electric bill and complete an application,” said Delgado.
Priority is also given to vulnerable individuals 60 years and over, persons with disabilities and families with children five years of age or under. Eligible families may qualify for assistance up to $1,600. Non-vulnerable population households will receive up to 6 monthly payments; while vulnerable population households may receive up to 12 monthly payments over a program year.
The CCSCT will also assist with water bills through its Low Income Water Assistance Program. Applicants may qualify for payment of their current water bill balance, as well as an additional $85 per month through September 2024. Applicants must also attach their current water bill and billing history to their Utility Assistance application to apply for water bill assistance. In addition, households may qualify for HVAC appliance heating and cooling repairs for up to $7,500.
Applications for utilities assistance may be picked up at the Seguin CCSCT office located at 205 N. King St. A copy of the application can also be downloaded at ccsct.org/utility-assistance-apply-for-services/ . Only complete applications with all necessary documents will be processed. Submitting an application is not a guarantee of assistance. Plus, the CCSCT advises applicants to continue to pay their bills on time. They say assistance will not be provided to households whose services have been turned off.
The CCSCT is a non-profit community action agency that empowers vulnerable families and individuals in the greater South Central Texas area to achieve self-sufficiency by eliminating barriers through innovative programs and strong community partnerships.