As of May 31, Community Action of East Central Indiana no longer will offer an energy assistance program to area residents in need.
That means the agency that once handled several assistance programs in Wayne, Fayette and Union counties now has only Head Start and Early Head Start in Wayne County.
The agency stopped accepting applications for assistance last week after the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority informed local officials it no longer would allow CAECI to handle its low-income heating energy program (LIHEAP).
Interlocal Community Action Program, which is based in New Castle has been selected to handle the program in Wayne and Fayette counties and Southeastern Indiana Economic Opportunity Corp. of Aurora will provide services for Union County, said IHCDA spokesman Brad Meadows.
The action comes on the heels of Community Action losing a $245,000 Community Services Block Grant from the IHCDA in October 2014. That money was used mainly for staffing for the energy assistance program.
That grant was pulled, according to IHCA officials, because of CAECI’s failure to comply with terms of the grant agreement, lack of internal controls for its fiscal operation and lack of corrective steps in its quality improvement plan.
CAECI appealed the IHCDA action to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which denied the appeal in April.