NEADA submitted written testimony last week to the House Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education in support of fiscal year (FY) 23 funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and Low Income Home Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP). NEADA requested that the subcommittee provide $5.1 billion for LIHEAP to address the continuing high level of arrearages and provide additional bill assistance to address rising home energy prices and $1 billion for LIHWAP to support continued water arrearage payments and current bill payment assistance.
NEADA also requested that the subcommittee to reject the Administration’s proposal to allow states to set aside 2.7 percent of their LIHEAP appropriation to fund LIHWAP because 2.7 percent of a state’s LIHEAP allocation is not sufficient to run a water assistance program and the LIHEAP state funding formula is a poor proxy for water need around the country.
The testimony concluded by stating that LIHEAP’s impact in many cases goes beyond providing bill payment assistance by playing a crucial role in maintaining family stability and improving health outcomes for vulnerable populations. It enables elderly citizens to live independently and ensures that young children have safe, warm homes to live in. Although the circumstances that lead each client to seek LIHEAP assistance are different, LIHEAP links these stories by enabling people to cope with difficult circumstances with dignity.