Peabody heating aid program cooled off

PEABODY – A city-sponsored heating assistance program doesn’t appear to be in the cards for Peabody residents, despite the efforts of City Councilor Ted Bettencourt Jr.The councilor made a motion last month to create a program that offers aide to low-income residents struggling to pay their home heating bill during the cold winter months. He hoped to fund the program using a portion of the Inclusionary Zoning Buyout funds, which are typically reserved strictly for affordable housing use.Bettencourt said the purpose of the City of Peabody Fuel Assistance Program was to assist qualified Peabody residents and families by paying a portion of their home heating bill. He explained in detail that eligible residents could either own or rent their home and must be current in city tax and water/sewer payments to qualify. Eligibility would have also been based on household size and gross annual income, which cannot exceed 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines.”I know it is a grave concern to many senior citizens and families on fixed incomes that these fuel costs will have a deep effect on their already tight budgets,” Bettencourt said in his proposal. “During this difficult economic period we are all experiencing, it is important that we as city leaders try to find ways to assist those who are struggling.”Bettencourt went on to say that, “utilizing a portion of these funds to create a heating-assistance program would allow the city to financially assist a large number of people during these difficult economic times rather than a small number of homes.”But, Assistant City Solicitor Brian P. Barrett reviewed the motion and determined that based on the language of the current Zoning Ordinance, using IZ Buyout money isn’t an option.Over $1.2 million first became available in the IZ Buyout fund when the developer of the Highlands at Dearborn apartment complex opted to pay the lump sum in lieu of creating affordable housing units.”It is my opinion that the inclusionary zoning funds cannot be used to establish a fuel assistance program,” he wrote. “Given the clear language employed by the ordinance, there is no plausible interpretation that would justify using the funds for anything other than the creation of affordable housing.”