Daley offers heating assistance to low-income families

Mayor Richard M. Daley's new heating assistance program to help low-income people apply for home heating assistance at 25 free tax preparation sites was announced Monday.

"We want to make sure low-income residents get all the assistance they're entitled to," said Office of Budget and Management Director William F. Abolt.

"When you come in to get your taxes done, we also want to make sure you get signed up for heating assistance that may be available to you during this time of year," he stated during a press conference held at Harold Washington College.

Not only will the tax preparation staff help people fill out their tax forms but they will also assist them in applying for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which is a federal/state program that gives assistance to poor families.

"This program is very important this time of year when the furnace is running almost constantly and heating bills are growing," said Abolt.

Recently, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, David Marzahl, executive director of the Tax Counseling Project and Rene Medina, a volunteer tax preparer from Bank One, held a press conference at the James R. Thompson Center, announcing the opening of 26 free tax assistance sites for low-income people.

All three said the tax preparation services are intended to help people claim federal and state Earned Income Tax Credits and Child Tax Credits.

According to Quinn, last year the Project's volunteers prepared over 14,000 returns in Illinois and brought back $19.5 million to low and moderate income workers.

Of the 14,000 returns prepared last year, he said 8,800 tax returns were completed in Chicago which brought in $11.8 million. Quinn and Marzahl expect the number of returns will increase by 15 percent, or 17,000 returns in Illinois.

To get more LIHEAP and taxpayer information, call: 1-800-252-8643, or the city's non-emergency number, 311.