Posted in News & Updates
CONCORD – Increased federal funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), will allow the state to help families and seniors currently on the waiting list pay their home heating bills this winter.
Initial federal funding cuts forced the state to limit immediate eligibility to families and seniors making less than 125 percent of the federal poverty level. The increased funding will allow the program to cover people up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level – although there is still the potential for a waiting list later in the season.
We are pleased that the importance of this program was recognized and additional funding was authorized. These continue to be challenging times for many families due to the unstable economy, coupled with high fuel oil prices, and the additional funding was very much needed,” said Joanne Morin, director of the state Office of Energy and Planning. “This increased federal funding will allow us to help thousands more New Hampshire families and seniors stay warm this winter.”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services initially allotted $14.7 million in LIHEAP funding for New Hampshire. Recent congressional action increased the funding to approximately $26 million, which is still about $9 million less than $34 million New Hampshire received last year.
“We must remember that even though funding was increased over our initial allotment, New Hampshire is still receiving less LIHEAP aid than last year at a time when demand is increasing,” said Joanne Morin, director of the state Office of Energy and Planning.
The Office of Energy and Planning will monitor the program to ensure monies are available for emergencies as required by law, and may be forced to again start a waiting list later in the season to ensure that adequate resources remain to address emergencies.
If you have any questions about your benefits or wish to see if you are eligible for heating assistance, please call your local community action agency.
Posted in News & Updates
SNHS received great news recently when word came from Washington, DC that applications to build the final 16 apartments at Hallsville Court in Manchester (Phase 3 of three phases) and 20 much-needed apartments on Route 2 in Lancaster had been approved.
The New Hampshire Union Leader and Coos County Democrat reported on the successful applications and SNHS representatives are scheduled to go before the Lancaster Planning Board on December 14. Due to competition for metro units throughout New England, SNHS’ request for funding to build in Londonderry was not approved at this time.
According to the Union Leader article, the “grants are targeted to help non-profit organizations produce accessible housing, offer rental assistance and facilitate supportive services for the elderly.”
SNHS is doing its part to stimulate the in-state construction industry with groundbreaking scheduled in the coming days for 16 units of senior housing on Fairgrounds Road in Plymouth and 16 units on Alpine Village Drive in North Woodstock. Local officials in both Grafton County communities have been supportive of SNHS’ housing mission and have reported unofficially that there’s already great interest among town residents.
Completion and occupancy for both of these residences is expected in Summer/Fall 2012.
Posted in News & Updates
CONCORD – Community Action Agencies will begin releasing Fuel Assistance Program benefits to New Hampshire families this week, targeting the limited dollars to those families in the lowest income brackets with the most difficulty in paying their fuel bills.
“With a 50 percent cut in federal funding, there are no easy choices,” said Joanne Morin, director of the state Office of Energy and Planning. “We looked at a number of options for stretching these dollars, and allocating them fairly.
“In order to protect the health and safety of New Hampshire citizens, we will target funding to families most vulnerable to being left out in the cold,” Morin said. “We will also continue to push President Obama and Congress to adequately fund heating assistance for struggling families.”
The federal government has cut funding for the Low Income Home Heating Program (LIHEAP) also known as the Fuel Assistance Program, nearly in half. Last year, New Hampshire received $34 million. This year, New Hampshire has only received $14.7 million.
In light of that significant reduction, the Office of Energy and Planning (OEP) is instructing the Community Action Agencies to release benefits first to those households below 125 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. Those households between 125 percent and 200 percent Federal Poverty Guidelines will be placed on a waiting list pending further federal funding. All households up to the 200 percent Federal Poverty Guidelines will be eligible for emergency benefits if they are in a situation where they have no heat.
This program modification will require changes to the software that issues letters to fuel vendors. While these changes will be made as quickly as possible, it is likely that fuel vendors will not receive official notifications until next week. Going forward, the Office of Energy and Planning will monitor the program to ensure monies are available for emergencies as required by law, and may be forced to start a waiting list at a future date in order to ensure that adequate resources remain to address emergencies.
If you have any questions about your benefits, please call your local Community Action Agency.
Posted in News & Updates
For several decades now, New Hampshire’s community action agencies and other fine nonprofit sponsors have developed more than 1,000 units of new and affordable rental housing for low-income people 62 years and older all across our state.
The funding source for these apartments has been the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 202 program.
Southern New Hampshire Services, in particular, has developed and now manages almost two dozen such residences – totaling almost 800 apartments by this time next year – bringing clean and safe housing not only to the cities of Nashua, Rochester and Manchester, but also to the small towns of Pittsburg, Campton and Greenfield, among others.
Most 202 units are occupied by women – oftentimes widowed – who were simply unable to maintain the expense of keeping up a single-family home any longer.
Today, the 202 program is under attack in Washington, D.C. Last year, President Barack Obama zeroed out the program in his proposed fiscal year 2012 budget, and more recently the Senate moved to eliminate the new development portion of the program altogether.
In other words, if the president and Senate have their way, there will be zero 202 units built in the future – and America’s seniors will be the losers.
As recently as fiscal year 2010, the 202 program included $371 million for new development of more than 2,700 new units of supportive housing for seniors throughout the country.
There are still 10 seniors on the waiting list for every 202 unit that comes online, according to the AARP. Almost without exception, as soon as SNHS opens a new and fully occupied residence here, other seniors are asking if they can be alerted to any units that might open up.
A 2008 HUD study recommends funding 10,000 units of Section 202 housing each year for the next 10 to 15 years to meet the demand. It is clear a comprehensive national policy for affordable housing and services is needed or the current senior housing crisis will intensify.
Today, we’re asking Congress to restore meaningful funding levels for the Section 202 program to include new development.
New Hampshire’s senior citizens of today and in the future deserve no less.
Gale F. Hennessy is executive director of Southern New Hampshire Services, Hillsborough County’s Community Action Agency, and president of the New Hampshire Community Action Association.
A reprint of an original guest commentary that appeared in the Sunday Telegraph on November 6, 2011. Reprinted with permission. http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/
Posted in News & Updates
Southern New Hampshire Services’ New American Sustainable Agriculture Project (NASAP), conn
ects immigrants and refugees with the land, skills, and resources needed to start farm-based enterprises in New Hampshire. The farmers are recently resettled Somali Bantu and Bhutanese refugees living in Manchester, NH. Produce is grown on a seven acre farm in Dunbarton, NH, lent for use by retired dairy farmers. This year 13 participants are selling vegetables as part of the Fresh Start Farms collective at various farmers markets, through Community Supported Agriculture Shares, SNHS’ Summer Food Service Program, New Hampshire’s Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program, and wholesale to a local colleges and restaurants.
In order to successfully integrate refugee farmers into the agricultural community here in New Hampshire, participants are being connected to the larger network of farm services. Relationships are established with the UNH Cooperative Extension, The USDA Service Center, including the Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service, Southern New Hampshire Resource Conservation and 
Development, The New England Farm Workers’ Council, and the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food.
For more information on Fresh Start Farms and the New American Sustainable Agriculture Project, contact the Organization for Refugees and Immigrant Success 296-0443.
Posted in News & Updates
The Fuel Assistance Program (FAP) is now taking applications for the 2011-2012 winter season through April 30th. An application package was mailed to clients who were on the program last year, but these clients can call for a face to face interview if that is preferred.
People who have not received FAP benefits before and are interested in Fuel Assistance must call for an appointment. Offices are open Monday through Friday in Manchester, Nashua and Peterborough, and offices in Milford and Hillsboro are open on scheduled days.
Fuel Assistance benefits are not meant to pay for the entire winter heating bill but rather are there to help the client get through the winter, with benefits ranging from $150 to $1125. The benefit amount is based on the household income and annual heating costs. Clients whose heat is included in the rent may have their benefit sent to the landlord as a rental payment on the client’s behalf if their rent is not subsidized. Electric Assistance applications are taken year round.
Fuel Assistance
Gross Income GUIDELINES
Household Monthly Annual*
Size 30 Days 365 Days
1 $1,790 $21,780
2 $2,418 $29,420
3 $3,046 $37,060
4 $3,674 $44,700
5 $4,302 $52,340
6 $4,930 $59,980
7 $5,558 $67,620
8 $6,186 $75,260
Income guidelines may increase in the spring.
It is best to apply ahead of time.
*Benefits based on monthly income in most cases
Open Year round 8:30 am to 4:30 PM
Manchester area: 160 Silver Street 647 – 4470
1- 800 - 322 – 1073
Nashua area: 134 Allds Street 889 – 3440
1- 877- 211 – 0723
Other offices: 924-2243
1- 877- 757 – 7048
Peterborough: 46 Concord Street, The River Center (Monday through Friday)
Hillsboro: 8 Church St. (Monday and Friday)
Milford: Library Annex (Tuesday and Thursday)
Posted in News & Updates
The 2010-2011 Fuel Assistance season ended on April 30th. Final bills are now being paid. There was a total of 16,880 applications taken this year with a total of $7,906,736.25 spent on heating costs for the clients to date. Thank you to the Fuel Assistance staff for a job well done!
With the high cost of fuel products, the very cold winter and the continued strained economy, it was a “perfect storm” for the clients and staff. They are continuing to take Electric Assistance Program applications as well as emergency applications for the Neighbor Helping Neighbor Programs, the NGRID Program and the Family Emergency Loan Program. Applications for the next winter’s Fuel Assistance Program will start to be taken on July 5th for priority families. These are the elderly, the disabled and the families with children under the age of 6. All others can apply for winter assistance starting September 1, 2011. Have a great summer!
For more information on current energy assistance programs, including the Electric Assistance Program, please call 1.800.322.1073 or visit http://www.snhs.org/programs/energy-programs/fuel-assistance-faq/
Posted in News & Updates
SNHS Summer Food Service Program:
Free meals for youth 18 and under!
Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) provides free meals to youth during the summer months. Meals are available at open site locations for the duration of school summer break or during structured summer programming.
All meals are prepared following USDA guidelines and unitized for each individual child. Breakfast, Lunch and Supper meals are available at designated locations and times, so find the site nearest you and bring your kids by for a meal!
Manchester
Free meals served Monday through Friday between the last day of school and the first day of school. Meals not served July 1st or 4th.
Breakfast Sites
Beech Street School Playground 7:45am-8:30am (Beech & Green Streets)
Kelly Falls Apartments 8:00am-8:30am (Kimball Street)
Elmwood Gardens Apartments 8:45am-9:45am (Ahern Street)
Manseau Manor Maple Street 10:00am-10:45am (Maple & Hayward Streets)
Lunch Sites
Elmwood Gardens Apartments 12:15pm-1:15pm (Ahern Street)
New Horizons Soup Kitchen 12:30pm-1:30pm (Manchester Street)
Hunt Memorial Pool 12:45pm-2:30pm (Maple & Auburn Streets)
Langdon Mill Apartments 1:30pm-2:00pm (Brook Street)
Supper Sites
Kelly Falls Apartments 3:45pm- 4:30pm (Kimball Street)
Adventure Park 4:30pm- 5:30pm (Union Street)
Sweeney Park 4:45pm- 5:20pm (South Main Street)
Beech Hill Apartments 5:40pm- 6:15pm (Beech Hill Avenue)
Beech Street School Playground 5:45pm- 6:15 pm (Beech and Green Streets)
Bakersville School 6:30pm- 7:00pm (Elm Street)
Maple Street Apartments 6:45pm- 7:30pm (Maple & Hayward Streets)
Nashua
Free meals served Monday through Friday starting June 24 through August 29. Meals will not be served July 1st and 4th.
Lunch Sites
Bronstein Apartments 12:45pm-1:30pm (41 Central Street)
Centennial Pool 2:30pm-3:00pm (22 Sargents Avenue)
Crown Hill Pool 1:45pm-2:15pm (27 Burke Street)
Supper Sites
David Dean Skate Park 4:15pm-4:45pm (Bridge Street)
Major Drive Apartments 5:00pm-5:45pm (Major Drive)
Los Amigos Park 6:00pm-6:30pm (40-52 Ash Street)
Eleventh Street Apartments 6:45pm-7:15pm (11th Street)
***Meals must be consumed on-site.***
For more information call 1-800-322-1073 Ext. 6048
This explains what to do if you believe you have been treated unfairly. “In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating of the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 or (202) 720-6382 (TTY). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.”
