In a normal year, staff working on Lane County’s Low-Income Household Energy Assistance Program would be sending letters to senior citizens and disabled people who qualify for assistance right now. That step comes before opening up a wait list for other people who may need help paying utility bills during the upcoming cold months.

Instead, administrators of the 100% federally-funded program have paused the sign-up process while they wait for an end to the federal government shutdown. They also are worried about the future of funding for utility assistance.

“Our ability to administer funds is directly dependent on that money becoming available,” said Jason Davis, public information officer for Lane County Health and Human Services. “And so if it’s not available, then we don’t want to do t

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