Senate Asks Obama to Release Local Fuel Assistance Money

As the winter season approaches, Massachusetts U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and 45 of his senate colleagues made a bipartisan request Thursday of the Obama administration to release the maximum amount of low income energy assistance funds allowed.

According to a press release from Markey, October marks the start of the heating season for many families in Massachusetts and in other northern states. It says agencies tasked with assisting families under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) will need funds to be made available, under the spending bill passed by congress last month.

“This funding has been an indispensable lifeline during challenging economic times, helping to ensure that recipients do not have to choose between paying their energy bills and paying for other necessities like food or medicine,” writes Markey and his colleagues.

Locally, LIHEAP funds are administered by community action agencies, including Community Action, Inc., Haverhill, and the Greater Lawrence Community Action Council (GLCAC), Lawrence.