Basic Energy Assistance
Primary heat assistance. Assists in paying a portion of the household's home heating bills. Client applications are taken from late fall to early spring. Payments are sent to the client's fuel vendor.

Energy Crisis Assistance
For emergency situations such as utility shutoff notices or non-delivery of fuel.

Energy Related Repair
Funds used for owner occupied homes to correct emergency problems with heating systems.

Agency crews and contractors provide energy conservation mesures, such as insulation, weather-stripping or caulking to help reduce energy costs. Furnaces are also checked for safety.

October 1st, 2009 Lakes & Pines Community Action Council, Inc. was awarded funds from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Utilities Program to address failing well systems for low income homeowners in the Lakes & Pines service area.

Lakes & Pines received a total of $44,000 to loan to four (4) low income homeowners at 1% interest for up to 20 years to assist the homeowners with replacing a failing or contaminated well system.

For more information & income guidelines, click on the Fact Sheet.

Click here for an application to the HHWWS Loan Program.

The Agency administrators public facilities funds for community water and sewer systems and rehabilitation funds to fix up homes for low and moderate income residents.

Local contractors perform services to homes that include septic, wells, home repair or mechanical systems. Cities, townships or counties apply for funds through the Department of Employment & Economic Development, and may contract with Lakes & Pines to write grants and for project administration.

SCDP contracts have included: Cities of Hinckley, Henriette, McGregor, Cloguet, Center City, Aitkin, Tamarack, Stacy, Wright, Rutledge, Barnum, Sturgeon Lake, Taylors Falls, Harris, Garrison, Kathio Township, and McGregor Township.

In July 2008 Congress created the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) that allocated $3.92 billion for the program as part of the Housing and Economic Redevelopment Act of 2008 (HERA). The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) further developed the program and was responsible for allocating the funds to each state.

The State of Minnesota received a total of $58 million; $38.8 million was received by the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency (MHFA) to provide targeted emergency assistance to local governments to acquire and redevelop foreclosed properties that might otherwise become sources of abandonment and blight throughout the State. The approximate $20 million remaining was allocated as follows: $5.6 million to the City of Minneapolis, $4.3 million to the City of St. Paul, $3.9 million to Hennepin County, $2.4 million to Anoka County and $2.8 million to Dakota County.

Lakes & Pines is assisting the City of Princeton, one of two NSP grant recipients in the Lakes & Pines service area, with the administration of their program. The City of Isanti also received an award and has contracted with Central MN Housing Partnership for the administration of their program.

Local utility companies providing funds to assist with energy conservation measures to help reduce the energy use of the utility's clients.