NEADA sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar today requesting that the Administration release 90 percent of funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) for fiscal year (FY) 2021 by October 15.
The federal government is currently funded through December 11, 2020 thanks to continuing resolution (CR) H.R. 8337. The CR provides funding based on FY 2020 appropriation levels. In previous years in which a temporary funding bill has been necessary, HHS released 90 percent of the anticipated full year LIHEAP appropriation so that states can provide assistance to low-income families throughout the winter heating season.
NEADA is requesting that HHS release 90 percent of the anticipated $3.74 billion LIHEAP appropriation for FY2021 as it has done in previous years. We are also requesting that the funding be released by October 15th in order to give states the funding they need to start their programs and prepare for the heating season.