Today NEADA sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services requesting the release by April 15, 2021 of $4.5 billion in LIHEAP assistance approved by Congress in the American Recovery Plan. We also asked HHS to prioritize finalizing guidance and releasing funds for the water and wastewater assistance program created in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 in December.
The LIHEAP funding and water assistance program are intended to assist households affected by the pandemic to pay their utility bills. With most utility shutoff moratoriums ending in March and April, states need the funding now to prevent millions of at-risk households from being shutoff from their energy and water service.