The Department of Health and Human Services made grant awards totaling $735,000 to two states under the Residential Energy Assistance Challenge Option Program (REACH). This is the “first round” of REACH grants in FY 2010.
Both states received $350,000 and Connecticut received an additional $35,000 for its Energy Efficiency Education Services (EEES) Plan.
Connecticut
(CBO – Connecticut Association for Community Action, Inc.)
The State of Connecticut will contract with the Connecticut Association for Community Action, Inc., which will contract with 11 community action agencies. The project will provide three services. Vulnerable households will receive carbon monoxide poison detectors. REACH participants, heating with fuel oil, that have problems identifying when the oil supply is low or empty (especially at-risk elderly and handicapped) will have fuel-level monitors installed. Additionally, the State will work with partners to review policies to eliminate barriers to services, especially automatic delivery plans that ensure vulnerable households receive fuel oil when needed.
The EEES Plan: The State will provide written information on health and safety measures, which will be disseminated throughout the partner organizations and health clinics, and will provide participant referrals to other needed assistance programs.
District of Columbia
(CBO’s – United Planning Organization, Energy Programs Consortium)
The District of Columbia (D.C.) proposes to serve low-income residents who participate in the Money Follows the Person Program, Medicaid recipients participating in home and community-based waiver programs, and LIHEAP-eligible residents receiving services through home health care agencies. The REACH program will include: (1) one-on-one counseling and expedited applications for D.C. energy assistance programs; (2) training and technical assistance on the availability of D.C.’s various energy assistance programs for health services and long-term care case managers who screen and enroll residents in the Medicaid waiver programs, as well as the families and caregivers of prospective clients; (3) facilitation of simplified LIHEAP applications and recertification through interagency data-matching agreements; and (4) work to support D.C. Council legislation to prohibit shutoffs for participants with in-home care.
In 2010, the Department of Health and Human Services made a "second round" of REACH grant awards totaling $1,155,000 to three states. New Mexico, Ohio and Rhode Island each received $350,000 plus $35,000 for their Energy Efficiency Education Services (EEES) Plans.
