HHS to provide $4.5B in heating assistance for U.S. families

Approximately $4.5 billion in Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) funds will be dispatched to states, territories, and Tribes this winter from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to help low heating costs for families.

Managed by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), in this case, the funds will help to subsidize home heating costs over the winter and cover unpaid utility bills to avoid shutoffs. The funds can also be used for home energy repairs that will help homeowners lower their overall heating and cooling bills.

“For more than 40 years, this program has helped low-income families pay their home heating and cooling bills,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said. “As heating costs increase, it is more important than ever to help families struggling to make ends meet. With this funding, we will help protect the health and well-being of Americans by keeping them safe and warm this winter.”

Similar efforts last year allowed aid for more than 5.3 million households, according to HHS figures. The $4.5 billion allotted for this year came from a mix of appropriations from Congress, $100 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and emergency funding provided in a September resolution authorized by Congress after a request from the Biden administration.

“Low-income households spend three times more of their income on energy costs than more affluent households,” said Dr. Lanikque Howard, director of ACF Office of Community Services. “As extreme weather events increase in frequency, it is more important than ever that we do everything we can to ensure individuals and families are aware of, apply for, and receive assistance.”

The White House also warned that this winter, Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine could continue to pressure the global energy market and drive costs higher. As such, while pushing these funds to consumers, the administration will also be releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in an attempt to lower gas prices while calling on energy companies to push their profits and savings on to those same consumers.