Community Development staff members have begun training and preparations for this winter's Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The program helps eligible low-income households pay for winter utility bills.
To be eligible for LIHEAP benefits, the applicant household must be responsible for home heating or cooling costs, either directly or included in the rent; and must meet low-income requirements. The amount of the LIHEAP heating benefit is determined by income, household size, and fuel type.

• Early processing of applications for those 65 or older or with a disabled head of household or spouse will begin Monday, October 1st. Staff members began mailing applications to those qualifying household starting September 18th.
• Applications for other clients who have received assistance in in the past will be mailed between October 23rd and December 1st.
• Beginning November 1, applications will be available in our offices for people who have never received assistance through the program before.

If you have questions about this program, please contact a member of the Community Development division.

Do you wish that you could buy your own home?
Are you struggling to save up for a downpayment?
ESC's IDA program may be able to help.

The Missourian’s Building Assets – IDA program is designed to allow low to moderate income wage earners to save money in an account that is matched on a 2:1 basis toward a specific saving goal. That means that for each dollar a participant saves, they earn two dollars in matching funds. Participants can save up to $2,000 to be matched with funds from state, local and federal funding sources. A key aspect to the project is that participants are required to attend economic education courses and participate in case management with a Community Development staff member. This helps them to achieve their savings goal and maintain economic self- sufficiency. Participants are then able to use their matched funds to buy a home.

The agency currently has one opening available in the program for a staff member, and the Community Development department is accepting applications for possible interviews. To be eligible, applicants must meet specific income guidelines and asset limits. If you would like to be considered for the program, please click on the link below to submit an application. If you have questions about the program, please contact a member of the Community Development division.

Year after year, United Way of Southwest Missouri combines our caring with that of all our co-workers to support programs that truly change lives. This joint effort makes sure that every donor’s investment works hard to help those who need our help in our community. The United Way of Southwest Missouri has an unparalleled reputation for addressing community needs. For over 83 years, our United Way has served this region by saving and changing lives.

As an agency committed to easing the burden of poverty in our communities, we spend a lot of our time and effort helping those who are struggling in our community. Through a donation you can help financially as well. Donations provide support to many of the agencies that our clients receive additional services from. These agencies include:

• Lafayette House
• Community Clinic
• Arthritis Association of SW MO
• American Red Cross
• Salvation Army
• Children's Haven
• Legal Aid of Western Missouri

If you would like to make a donation to support this vital community effort, please contact Andrea Osiek at aosiek@escswa.org or by calling her at 417-781- 0352 ext. 275. Donations can be made by payroll deduction, cash, check or credit card.

ESC staff members Debbie Markman, Stan Heater, Lisa Moore, John Crawford, and Carol Thomas attended a HUD sponsored training and roundtable discussion sponsored by the Jasper County Public Housing Agency on Monday September 25th. The training was provided by Kathy Winter, Public Housing Revitalization Specialist with HUD, and included discussions on the Section 8 Homeownership program. In addition, the group of 20 housing representatives from Missouri and Kansas discussed the Section 8 Rental Voucher program and the Family Self-sufficiency program.

ESC is the contract administrator for the Jasper County Public Housing Agency and is currently investigating the possibility of starting a Section 8 Homeownership program for our agency. The program works much like the Section 8 Rental program except assistance payments are made to help a qualified homeowner make their mortgage payments. The program also provides pre-purchase counseling and assistance in finding and purchasing their first home. Partnering arrangements would be developed with other entities such as the IDA program, Family Self- Sufficiency program, area lending institutions and real estate companies to provide additional benefit to our clients.

Is there anything interesting going on in your department that you would like to share with our staff, board members and supporters? To have your information included in an upcoming issue of News from ESC, please contact Andrea Osiek at aosiek@escswa.org.