Human Services Commission approves transfer of money to energy assistance

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- The state Human Services Commission voted unanimously on Tuesday to transfer $4 million from the federal government into a fund to help low-income families with high heating bills.<br><p

Wednesday, January 24th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

The money would be taken from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and given to a fund set up to help families with heating and cooling costs. Gov. Frank Keating asked for the transfer last week.

Howard Hendrick, director of the Department of Human Services, said families need more money this year because of rising natural gas prices and a colder-than-average December.

"It's far more than anyone expected," Hendrick said.

Some of the money from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program will help protect homes from the weather.

The deadline for help from the energy assistance program was Friday. Hendrick estimated about 84,000 applications were filed out of more than 212,000 eligible families.

The application process won't be reopened unless the agency gets more money from the Legislature or from other sources, such as the state's Rainy Day Fund, officials said.

Three state House Democrats, including Speaker Larry Adair, D-Stilwell, introduced a bill asking the governor and legislators to support supplemental funding for the energy-assistance program.

If approved, the state would match the federal government's $8.5 million payment to the program out of the Rainy Day Fund.