| Releases & Statements
Contact: Frank Sobrino
O: (212) 669-4193 C: (646) 250-4322
For Immediate Release:
January 24, 2006, 1:00 PM
Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum today
called on the Pataki Administration to stop depriving New York
City of its fair share of federal aid to help low-income families
pay their heating costs. Gotbaum released findings indicating
that the city receives only 14 percent of the Home Energy Assistance
Program (HEAP) money allocated to the state despite the fact that
it is home to 61 percent of the state population that lives below
the poverty line.
“Governor Pataki’s bias
against New York City couldn’t be more blatant.” Gotbaum
said. “HEAP is designed to help low-income families pay
for heat. Most of the low-income families in the State are here.
So why aren’t we getting most of the money? The system is
unfair and inefficient.”
Every winter, thousands of New York
City residents with limited resources struggle to stay warm in
apartments that are not properly heated. According to the 2005
Mayor’s Management Report, the Department of Housing Preservation
and Development (HPD) received almost 125,000 heat and hot water
complaints and issued more than 12,800 heat and hot water violations
in Fiscal Year 2005.
Low-income residents who live in homes
that are not properly heated may be forced to skimp on necessities
such as food and medicine in order to purchase space heaters and
pay increased electric bills, or they may attempt to heat their
homes with their ovens, risking carbon monoxide poisoning or fire.
Yet the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance
(OTDA) continues to direct the bulk of HEAP funding to upstate
households.
Despite a 21 percent spike in home
heating oil costs this winter, Congress has approved less funding
for heating assistance this year than last. The State has agreed
to allocate $100 million to make up for the shortfall in federal
funding, but the money will not help renters, who are stuck with
a minimum annual benefit of $50. To correct this bias against
renters, who pay the high cost of heating as part of their rent,
Gotbaum called on OTDA to raise the minimum annual benefit to
$150, matching the minimum provided to homeowners.
“Renters pay just as much for
heat as homeowners, and they’re just as likely to face a
heating crisis,” Gotbaum said. “One hundred extra
dollars could go a long way towards keeping their families warm
this winter.”
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