June 30, 2021
Media Contact: Katherine Morris
katherine.morris@maryland.gov
Office of Home Energy Programs in Allegany County Moves to County’s Department of Social Services Building
New location designed to better serve county residents’ access to wraparound services
BALTIMORE, MD – The Maryland Department of Human Services announced today that its Office of Home Energy Programs (OHEP) in Cumberland will, on July 1, move from the Allegany County Human Resources Development Commission, Inc. building at 125 Virginia Ave., to the Allegany County Department of Social Services, located at 1 Frederick Street in Cumberland.
The Office of Home Energy Programs (OHEP) provides bill assistance to low-income households in the State of Maryland to make their energy costs more affordable and to help with the prevention of loss and the restoration of home energy service.
“This operational change represents an opportunity to streamline customer access to mainstream benefits, mitigates transportation barriers resulting from the need to apply for benefits at multiple agencies, and is reflective of DHS’s ongoing commitment to addressing the needs of the entire family,” said Bill Freeman, Director of The Office of Home Energy Programs.
Currently, more than 88% of existing OHEP customers in Allegany County receive SNAP benefits (formerly known as food stamps) through the Allegany County Department of Social Services, which also offers a variety of programs including temporary cash assistance, long-term care, emergency assistance to families with children, and temporary disability assistance, to name a few.
“OHEP is a valuable safety net program designed to assist low-income households maintain essential home energy services and the transition will ensure that applicants for energy assistance will also be screened for other benefit eligibility,” said Allegany County Department of Social Services Director, Courtney Thomas-Winterberg. “This move will make it much easier for Allegany County residents to access all the economic support services available to them.”
Existing OHEP customers will continue to receive a mailed application. Eligible households can also apply online at https://mymdthink.maryland.gov/, call 301-784-7000 to request an application, or pick up an application at the Allegany County Department of Social Services located at 1 Frederick Street in Cumberland, MD 21502.
The Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS) is the state’s primary social service provider, serving over one million people annually. The Department, through its 24 local departments of social services, aggressively pursues opportunities to assist people in economic need, provide preventive services, and protect vulnerable children and adults in each of Maryland’s 23 counties and Baltimore City.
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