WASHINGTON — The White House on Tuesday introduced the discharge of roughly $3.7 billion in funding to assist lower-income households afford their residence heating prices.
The funding, in accordance with a senior administration official, represents 90% of the allotted funding for this system often known as the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program for fiscal 2024, with the stability being held again in case there’s a budgetary adjustment within the last full-year appropriation for this system, which is run by the Department of Health and Human Services.
“We’ve got news because the president worked so hard to get a bipartisan infrastructure law passed,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra mentioned on a name with reporters. “We know that in the next several weeks — we’re beginning to figure out how people need to be able to stay warm.”
Six million households have been reliant on LIHEAP for heating or cooling final yr, the secretary mentioned. The funding largely comes from common appropriations by means of the present persevering with decision, with an extra $100 million from the Biden administration’s bipartisan infrastructure legislation. The funding launched Tuesday (and the general allocation) doesn’t match final yr’s degree, nonetheless, as a result of that included emergency supplemental funding.
“In addition, the Biden-Harris administration is looking at every avenue to increase support to the American people, and we’re also looking at opportunities to potentially increase LIHEAP funding as well,” a senior administration official mentioned in response to a query in regards to the allocation at this level final yr being $4.5 billion.
In the Northeast, residence heating oil costs are operating 26% beneath ranges at the moment final yr, in accordance with knowledge from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, with retail propane down about 5%.
How to see in case you’re eligible
In conjunction with the announcement, the administration launched a new on-line instrument to assist folks decide their eligibility for funds, which HHS Office of Community Services Director Lanikque Howard mentioned was an essential development as a result of eligibility necessities fluctuate.
“As a block grant, LIHEAP grant recipients have flexibility in establishing program eligibility requirements. And with varying income eligibility requirements all across the country, it can be difficult for individuals and households to determine if they might be eligible for the program and whether they should invest the time and energy to apply,” Howard mentioned.
Mitch Landrieu, the White House infrastructure coordinator, put the funding within the context of President Joe Biden’s broader financial agenda.
“The purpose of this is to lower energy bills for households in all 50 states, in D.C. and the territories,” Landrieu mentioned. “This funding is a lifeline for low-income communities, especially as winter approaches. It’s going to allow families to afford their home energy costs on top of the other essentials like food and medicine and housing.”
©2023 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Visit rollcall.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”