Meeting Winter Heating Bills for Needy Families: How Should the Federal Program Work?

To alleviate the burden of high heating costs on low-income households during severe winter emergencies, Congress has appropriated $200 million a year for 1977, 1978, and 1979. The program, administered by the Community Services Administration and carried out by the states, paid utility bills and other energy-related costs for the needy. Under the Special Crisis Intervention Program, funds were distributed to the states based on the severity of the winter, the number of poverty households, the number of elderly in the households, and the regional fuel cost.