Low income residents of Chattoga County will soon be able to apply for help to offset the cost of home heating, according to North Georgia Community Action, Inc., which contracts with the Georgia Department of Human Resources to operate the program.

The regular energy assistance program will officially open on November 2, 2009 with the beginning of the homebound/elderly application intake period. Homebound households are defined as those households in which every household member is confined to the home because of medical conditions or disabilities.  Elderly households are defined as those households in which every household member is aged 65 years or older. (If anyone in the household is under age 18 and all other household members are age 65 or older, that household will meet the definition of elderly.)

All households participating in the program must provide verifications and  meet the income criteria; be responsible for paying the cost of energy for home heating directly to the supplier; and be U.S. citizens or legally admitted aliens, except for certain aliens admitted under section 210A or 245A.

For  more information, call North Georgia Community Action Inc.’s Community Service Center at 706-857-0729…That number is 706-857-0729.