ADECA names agency to assume long-term responsibility for Low-Income assistance programs in Jefferson County

MONTGOMERY – The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs announced today that the Community Action Agency of Northeast Alabama will assume long-term responsibility for managing three programs that assist low-income families and individuals in Jefferson County.

The Community Action Agency of Northeast Alabama will assume responsibility for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, the Weatherization Assistance Program and the Community Services Block Grant program in the county. LIHEAP and Weatherization help with home heating and cooling costs for qualified residents, including low-income families with children, people with disabilities and the elderly. The Community Services Block Grant funds a variety of programs to help low-income individuals and families to achieve self-sufficiency.

“These three programs provide vital aid to people in times of need, so our efforts to complete the process of selecting a long-term agency were always focused on the end goal: providing this assistance to the residents of Jefferson County as quickly as possible,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “We are appreciative of the Community Action Agency of Northeast Alabama for stepping up to this long-term responsibility to serve Jefferson County.”

The Community Action Agency of Northeast Alabama was selected following an established process. In January, ADECA issued a solicitation for applications to identify an eligible entity for administration of these programs in Jefferson County. The period for entities to submit proposals ended on Feb. 11 and was followed by a review and evaluation period.

The community action agency, which has been administering LIHEAP funds in the county on a temporary, emergency basis since December, will work in the coming days to mobilize the Weatherization and CSBG programs for Jefferson County residents.

Initial Community Action Agency of Northeast Alabama contact information for Jefferson County:

Website: www.caaneal.org

Email: communityactionagency@caaneal.org

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CAANEAL

Agency phone number: (256) 899-8760

Birmingham location: Serving You Ministries – 6523 1st Avenue N, Birmingham, AL 35206

The application may be downloaded via the agency’s website. The agency requests that residents seeking to apply in person for crisis assistance to schedule an appointment to ensure a case manager is available. The phone number for the scheduler is (205) 778-2474.

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Posted in News Release, Newsroom.