Heating aid rises amid cold

STAMFORD — A powerful nor’easter bringing heavy snowfall, high winds and sub-freezing temperatures has given low-income residents an extra push to seek shelter and help with heating expenses.

In the past week, since temperatures began dipping into the single digits overnight, Connecticut’s only nonprofit energy assistance program has accepted at least 100 applications from across the state.

“It’s definitely picking up,” said Brenda Watson, interim executive director of Operation Fuel. “People are either out of oil or almost out of oil. We’re talking about seniors or people with children.”

Operation Fuel helps households that earn at or below 75 percent of the state median income. For a family of four in Stamford that’s $82,000, “which, once the bills are paid and taxes are taken out, really isn’t that much,” Watson said.

Local fuel banks will determine whether applicants qualify for the program, and if they do, make payments to vendors for oil, gas, propane, electricity and other heating sources.

To get help from Operation Fuel, residents must not qualify for the state’s energy assistance program, which helps families who earn below 60 percent of the state median income.

The nor’easter was expected to bring as much as six inches of snow in Stamford and wind gusts of up to 44 mph, residents were advised to avoid non-essential travel and stay indoors. Stamford Public Schools were closed Thursday.

“Residents should ... avoid driving if possible and plan ahead to make certain the roads are clear for plows. Make plans now if schools should close or dismiss early,” was the advice Mayor David Martins gave to residents on the Tuesday before the storm hit.

Operations Fuel was closed Wednesday, so it was too late to get help during the storm. But Watson advised households seeking fuel assistance to do it early, ideally before they’ve run out.

In Stamford, residents can apply at the Community Action Agency of Western Connecticut at 34 Woodland Ave. The agency serves as the fuel bank for western Fairfield and Litchfield counties, including Stamford, Greenwich, Norwalk and Danbury, which together have submitted 20 fuel assistance applications since Dec. 1. Bridgeport, which uses other agencies as fuel banks, had the most applications in Fairfield County at 120.

The majority of Operation Fuel applications come from New Haven and Hartford counties, according to the organization. The city of New Haven has seen 78 applications since the start of the winter assistance season.

For those without a comfortable place to stay indoors, the city offers several warming centers during the day. At night, people can go to Inspirica’s warming center at 8 Woodland Place, which offers dinner and cots from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.

“It’s never good or healthy to be on the streets, but in the winter when it reaches these frigid temperatures, it’s literally a matter of life and death,” said Jason Shaplen, CEO of Inspirica, which provides services to the homeless. “It’s imperative to have someplace warm and safe to go, and that’s what we’re providing.”