(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that funds the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), announced with U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and U.S. Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01) that $27.6 million in LIHEAP funds are being awarded to New Hampshire to assist Granite State families ahead of the winter season. LIHEAP is a federally funded program that helps families pay home heating bills and prevent energy shutoffs during the coldest months of the year. Assistance can also be used to restore services, make minor energy-related home repairs and weatherize homes to make them more energy efficient. The funding announced today includes $26,926,592 in regular LIHEAP block grants and $763,686 from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which Shaheen and Hassan helped negotiate.
“During the coldest months of the year, no one in New Hampshire should be forced to choose between heat and other daily necessities,” said Senator Shaheen, a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that funds LIHEAP. “The federal LIHEAP program continues to play a critical role in helping families with their heating costs.”
“As we approach the winter, high energy costs will make it harder for many Granite Staters to make ends meet,” said Senator Hassan. “This important federal funding will deliver crucial relief, helping more families afford their heating bills while also allowing them to weatherize their homes to reduce energy costs over the long-term.”
“As we continue working to lower energy costs and with cold winter months just around the corner, programs like LIHEAP are a lifeline for New Hampshire families,” said Congresswoman Kuster. “I was proud to advocate for these resources and I am pleased to see them heading to our state to help hardworking families pay their home heating bills and stay safe and warm this winter. I’ll continue working to bring down energy costs to ensure everyone has the opportunity to thrive.”
“No one should ever struggle to keep their heat on in the winter. As temperatures continue to fall, I’m pleased to see these federal funds for heating assistance delivered back to New Hampshire,” said Congressman Pappas. “The LIHEAP program is essential to the well-being of our communities, and I’ll continue working to secure additional resources that will lower energy costs while protecting the health and safety of Granite Staters.”
LIHEAP, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) program, funds New Hampshire’s Fuel Assistance Program. Granite Staters needing assistance with their energy bills should apply through their local Community Action Partnership. You can find your local CAP at www.CAPNH.org. Households can quickly identify their eligibility through the LIHEAP Eligibility Tool.
As a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee and a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee that funds LIHEAP, Senator Shaheen supported significantly increased funding for the program in the fiscal year (FY) 2023 government funding law. Senator Shaheen has also used her role on Appropriations and as a lead negotiator for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to push for increased LIHEAP funding for Granite State families, contributing to the highest total of LIHEAP funding ever received in a 12-month period in New Hampshire history. Earlier this year, Shaheen and Hassan joined a bipartisan group of Senators to call on HHS to swiftly release the remaining $1.5 billion in LIHEAP funding that Congress delivered in FY 2023.
Kuster and Pappas are fierce advocates for delivering heating assistance to New Hampshire families and helped lead a letter to secure this funding earlier this year.
