By Rep. Lindsay Powell

Hello neighbors, happy February! My team and I have hit the ground running with the start of the new year. At the beginning of January, I was sworn into my second term as your state representative. Taking the oath of office was celebratory and motivating; I remain steadfastly committed to advancing our neighbors’ rights across our vibrant communities.

The 2024 Property Tax Rent Rebate applications are now open! This program supports homeowners and renters across Pennsylvania by providing a rebate ranging from $380 to $1,000 to eligible older adults and people with disabilities age 18 and older.

Pennsylvania homeowners and renters who meet the following criteria are eligible for a rebate:

• 65 and older
• Widows and widowers 50 and older
• People with disabilities 18 and older

In addition to age requirements, to qualify for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate, your household income must be $46,520 or less annually.

Applications for 2024 Property Tax/ Rent Rebates are due by June 30. Under Pennsylvania law, the Department of Revenue evaluates the program before the June 30 deadline every year. If extra funds are available, the deadline is extended to Dec. 31. Applications postmarked by that date will be accepted for processing My office will host a Veteran Service Officer (VSO) from the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. (VFW) during the second week of each month to ensure you receive the assistance you deserve! Our dates for the spring are as follows: Feb. 18-20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 17-19 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. If you are a veteran or know a veteran who would like help accessing their benefits, please call my office at (412) 7812750 to schedule an appointment.

Additionally, my office will be at the Millvale Library for our “Powell to the People” mobile office hours on Feb. 4 from 1 to 3:30 p.m. The library is located at 213 Grant Ave., Millvale, PA 15209. Can’t make that date? No worries, we’ll also be holding mobile office hours on March 10 from 12:30 to 3 p.m. at the Shaler North Hills Library. The library is located at 1822 Mt. Royal Blvd, Glenshaw, PA 15116. We’d love to see you there so we can help with any state-related issues or questions you may have. These include — but are not limited to — voter registrations and voting in Pennsylvania, Property Tax/ Rent Rebate applications, unemployment compensation, SNAP benefits, birth and death certificates, or any PennDOT applications.

As a reminder, if you have someone in your life who is struggling with paying their utility bill, the LIHEAP (Low-Income Home Energy Assistance program) application is now open until April 5. Someone from my office would be happy to help you or a loved one apply to lower your energy bill!

My district office is located at 5154 Butler St., Pittsburgh, PA 15201. We are open and ready to serve you, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and by appointment in the evenings on Wednesdays. We also have office hours at our Shaler office at the Shaler Municipal Building located at 300 Wetzel Road, second floor, Glenshaw, PA 15116. We will be there every Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., or any weekday by appointment.

Any state related issue, or assistance that you may need, please give my office a call; even if we cannot directly help, we will do our best to put you in contact with someone who can. Here are some examples of ways we can help, but are not all encompassing of the support we offer:

• PennDOT services: car registrations and disability placard applications
• Free notary services
  • Taking an acknowledgement
  • Administering an oath or affirmation
  • Taking a verification on an oath or affirmation (which includes an affidavit)
  • Witnessing or attesting a signature
  • Certifying or attesting a copy or deposition
  • Taking a note protest of a negotiable instrument
• Complaints about road conditions or infrastructure
• Unemployment compensation problems
• Property tax/rent rebate applications
• Issues related to utility companies
• Birth certificate applications and finding copies of your vital records
• Senior ConnectCard applications through Port Authority of Allegheny County

Call: (412) 781-2750 or Email: RepPowell@pahouse.net or stop by our office during the hours listed above.