Social work intern urges city support for residents awaiting LIHEAP funds, warns of winter risk

Annalise Skirpin, a University of Alabama social work student interning at Community Service Programs (CSP), urged the Tuscaloosa City Council to support residents who may face winter energy hardship while federal LIHEAP funds are delayed.

Skirpin told council she has been placed with CSP and outlined the agency's work providing utility, food and rent assistance. She said the Continuing Appropriations Act of 2026 extends LIHEAP funding through Jan. 30 but warned that agencies typically wait weeks to receive awards. Citing an NPR article and Mark Wolf of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, she said agencies "likely won't see any LIHEAP funds until late December or January," and called that "a dangerous reality for Tuscaloosa families." She said CSP assisted households in West Alabama 21,520 times from October 2023 to October 2025 and described frequent calls from people seeking assistance they cannot be helped because of limited funding.

The mayor responded that city staff, including LaPerry Howe, had been coordinating with CSP and other agencies for the past 60 days before and after a shutdown to avoid gaps in safety nets for vulnerable residents and offered to continue that coordination. Skirpin asked to meet with council members after the meeting to discuss possibilities for city support while federal funds are pending.

The request highlights local concerns about winter utility access and the timing of federal distributions; council did not take an immediate vote on funding but acknowledged staff coordination with CSP.