Community Action Agencies help CT stay warm

With summer ending and colder temperatures on the way, it’ll be time to turn the heat on before we know it. And as many families across the state continue to struggle with their energy bills, the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) is here to help them keep warm this winter.

Connecticut’s Community Action Agencies (CAAs) partner with the Department of Social Services (DSS) every year to operate CEAP in all 169 cities and towns across the state. This past winter, CEAP helped over 100,000 eligible households not only afford to heat their home, but also avoid unnecessary energy crises. Program participants vary, reflecting the diversity of the state’s population. They include older adults on fixed incomes, single parents working one or more jobs,  a neighbor who just got laid off from work, and others.

And as a cold weather state with significant heating costs, Connecticut residents having a hard time making ends meet are at risk of living in “heat-or-eat mode.” This means they are sometimes forced to choose between heating their home and paying for other essential needs like groceries, housing, medical care, and child care.

But with help from CEAP, they don’t have to make that impossible choice. And while it primarily helps people with their energy bills, CEAP truly is a health and safety program – fostering overall health and wellness by making sure families don’t have to sacrifice one basic need for another.

This is why energy assistance is so important. And because resources are limited, we’re encouraging people to apply for the program early!

CEAP applications became available online starting September 1 or residents can contact their local Community Action Agency to apply. They can also  visit www.ct.gov/staywarm or www.cafca.org/agencies/ to find  their local CAA, call 2-1-1 for assistance, or Text CTWARM to 898211.

Rhonda Evans is the executive director of the Connecticut Association for Community Action .