Up to eight inches of snow blanketed the area this week as nighttime lows dipped into single digits. For many, the wintry blast is a long-anticipated symbol of the region’s beauty and tranquility. But for those unable to pay heating bills, it’s a sign of looming distress.
Tens of thousands of people throughout the region struggle to keep their homes warm each winter. Recent uncertainty around federal programs such as the Home Energy Assistance Program, known as HEAP, has only made those situations more dire.
In response, the Catskills Alliance for Housing and Preservation, a resident-led nonprofit dedicated to preserving and revitalizing housing in Olive and Shandaken, is launching its Warm Neighbors Fund to assist residents who are having trouble heating their homes. The fund, CAHP’s first official initiative since the group’s founding in May, aims to raise at least $20,000 and will provide up to $500 per qualifying household.
“With everything that’s been going on at the federal level, we feel it is time to double down on strengthening the community,” said Vickie Starr, CAHP’s founder and board chair. “We have a lot of seniors. Those are the people we are particularly concerned about.”
More than 12,000 people in Ulster County received HEAP benefits last year, a number that has remained steady since 2020. While those benefits were recently reinstated after a lengthy federal government shutdown, concerns about future delays or cuts persist.
“Everyone is having trouble making ends meet right now,” Starr said. “No one is coming to save us. State agencies are doing what they can, but, unfortunately, we can’t count on the powers that be to do the right thing.”
Donations are now being accepted on CAHP’s website. Starr said the first $5,000 raised will be matched, dollar for dollar, by Shandaken Planning Board member Juan Rosales and his husband, Sam Litton.
Rosales said he and Litton wanted to give back to a community that they fell in love with when they relocated to Pine Hill from New York City in 2023.
“When you are fortunate enough to be able to do something like this, it’s a no-brainer,” Rosales said. “It’s really about supporting a community that we love and that has embraced us completely.”
Residents interested in applying for assistance may do so beginning Dec. 15 on the CAHP website or by paper application at several locations, including the Phoenicia Food Pantry, the Phoenicia Farmers Market, the Phoenicia Library, the Pine Hill Library, Catskill Neighbors, the Pine Hill Community Center, and Wellness RX in Phoenicia.
Jim Rich is a senior reporter for The Overlook. You can reach him at jim@theoverlooknews.com.