HEAP season opens in Greene County; staff report extraordinary call volume and application backlog

A county presenter reported that the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) season opened last Monday and that the county experienced an immediate surge in demand: 871 calls the first day and hundreds of calls each subsequent day, with roughly 700 applications already in the intake queue.

Staff described burdens on the reception area and the county phone system, noting the call and application totals include walk-ins, online applications and telephone callers. The presenter said the state will open an equipment repair and replacement component on Thursday the 11th but did not specify how much funding the state has available; staff cautioned that those funds will be available only while state resources last.

The county also discussed emergency supports: although a formal building-level 'code blue' shelter activation had not been used in county facilities, staff are prepared to use hotels to shelter people when necessary and emphasized hotel use requires consistent on-site staffing. Staff did not report any formal emergency declarations at county facilities during the meeting.

Board members and staff noted the sheer volume of requests and the operational strain on intake and processing; no new funding or policy actions were adopted at the meeting.