Tag: inflation

Mass. Fuel Assistance Program Looking To Help Residents Pay High Heat Bills

BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Heating bills here in The Commonwealth will likely be going up this winter, but the Massachusetts Fuel Assistance Program is looking to help shoulder some of that burden. The program, formally known as the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, helps people under a certain income by giving them money to help pay a portion of…

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Heating Worries Mount Amid Growing Costs

This week, a gallon of home heating oil in Massachusetts sold on average for $5.71 a gallon. Last year at this time, it was $3.30 a gallon – that’s a 73% increase “It’s a very, very high bill.” Shirlee Thurston’s latest heating oil bill is a frightening prospect only weeks before Halloween and the arrival of the winter months. “Close…

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ABCD on WBUR: LIHEAP benefits announced; more funding needed to help families stay warm and healthy this winter.


ABCD board names Sharon Scott-Chandler its new president and CEO

The Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD) Board of Directors has named longtime executive vice president/COO, Sharon Scott-Chandler, Esq., president and CEO of the largest social services agency in New England. Scott-Chandler succeeds John J. Drew, who retired on June 30 after 51 years with the antipoverty agency, 13 as president and CEO.  With the passing of legendary ABCD President/CEO,…

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Lawmakers push to get federal funds for home heating to Massachusetts early

Home heating costs are expected to soar this winter, as the state is projecting a 13% increase. WCVB-TV’s Mary Saladna reports. WATCH NOW


ABCD on the Radio: Massachusetts LIHEAP funding helpful but not enough


As cost of home heating rises, federal assistance is lower than last year

BOSTON – Clarence Smith knows a thing or two about heating bills piling up. He says he is still paying off his natural gas bill from last year. “Right now, I’m still a little minus on the gas,” Smith said. There are concerns that thousands of people will soon be in the same predicament. As the weather cools, the cost…

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With home heating bills headed higher, New England lawmakers seek more federal energy assistance for low-income families

WASHINGTON — With the cost to heat homes this winter set to jump dramatically because of the war in Ukraine, members of Congress from New England are pushing the federal government to provide more money to help low-income families pay the higher bills. Lawmakers are seeking an extra $1 billion for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, known as…

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ABCD on the Radio: High utility and grocery costs to devastate Massachusetts families this winter


Food injustice concerns growing in Boston since pandemic

Amid growing concerns about living expenses, declining incomes and inflation, Boston residents are experiencing increased food prices, insecurity and inaccessibility. Approximately 1.8 million Massachusetts residents, 32% of the state’s population, struggled with food insecurity in 2021, according to a survey conducted by the Greater Boston Food Bank. Nick Owen, program director of food insecurity at Action for Boston Community Development,…

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