BROOKLYN BOROUGH PRESIDENT MARTY MARKOWITZ CALLS FOR CHANGES TO HEAP’S FUNDING FORMULA
“Brooklyn needs to light a fire under the Bush administration when it comes to helping our lower-income residents cope with winter heating issues. With more heat and hot-water violations than all the other boroughs combined — almost 60% of the total — and heating-oil costs on the rise, the administration must act now to correct the inequities of the federally funded Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP).
Although more than half of all HEAP recipients in New York State are City residents, only 15% of the state’s funds are disbursed here. The formula to calculate who receives assistance from the Home Energy Assistance Program clearly needs to be fixed so that New Yorkers and Brooklynites get their fair share and aren’t left out in the cold.
We know that our congressional representatives will be fighting hard for this change and we want them to know that Brooklyn residents support them in this effort.”
-Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz