With winter bearing down, $40 million in delayed home heating assistance now available

This story was originally posted by the Maine Morning Star.

AnnMarie Hilton
Maine Morning Star

Federal funds previously held up in the government shutdown are now available to help Mainers heat their homes. 

On Dec. 2, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins announced that nearly $40 million is now available to help low-income Mainers, seniors and tribal members in the state afford their energy bills this winter. More than $1.4 million of that is allocated specifically for the Indian Township and Pleasant Point Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, Maliseet and Mi’kmaq tribes.

The money is part of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Republicans, like Collins, and Democrats in Congress have been urging for these dollars to be made quickly available after the government reopened in late November. 

“LIHEAP funding provides vital relief to thousands of Mainers, helping them avoid the constant worry of having to choose between heating their homes and covering other basic necessities,” Collins said in a news release. 

Home heating costs are estimated to rise on average nearly 8 percent compared to last winter, according to national forecasts. Costs for heating with electricity are expected to increase even more, with estimates at about 10 percent higher than last year.

U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, a Democrat who represents Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, recently signed onto a letter asking Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to distribute the funds by Nov. 30. Bipartisan senators, including Collins and independent Sen. Angus King, similarly sent a letter to HHS last month calling for the assistance to be released.

States usually receive LIHEAP allocations in early November to help roughly 6 million Americans, including 45,000 Mainers, heat their homes, but this year’s money was delayed because of the government shutdown that proved to be the longest in history. 

The Maine State Housing Authority came up with a temporary solution after it was made clear states would not receive LIHEAP funding on the usual timeline, using leftover funds from two other programs to avoid heating emergencies. However, they knew it wouldn’t be a long-term fix.

LIHEAP eligibility is based on income, family size and the availability of resources. Maine residents can apply here.