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News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, Feb. 5, 2004

Contact: ACF Press Office
(202) 401-9215

HHS Releases $191.5 Million to Help Low-Income Families With Home Heating Costs

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced the release of an additional $191.5 million in Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) funds for states, territories and tribes. Today's release brings the total amount made available so far this winter to almost $1.65 billion.

LIHEAP is a block grant program that helps eligible families pay the costs of heating their homes in the winter and cooling their homes in the summer. About 4.6 million low-income households receive assistance each year.

"January was a particularly cold and difficult month in many states," Secretary Thompson said. "These funds will help provide heat to low-income Americans keeping their homes and families safe and warm."

HHS will provide $99.4 million of this amount from LIHEAP contingency funds. These contingency funds are being released to states due to increases in many home heating fuel prices and the colder than normal January weather in a number of states.

All states will receive a portion of these funds, with $40 million allocated according to the same formula as the base block grant. The remaining funds will be provided to the 18 states (Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia) that experienced January temperatures that were much colder than normal. The District of Columbia will also receive part of this allocation.

The remaining $92.1 million going to states reflects the enactment of a full-year appropriation that provides a higher funding level than could be made available under the continuing resolution that funded LIHEAP through most of January.

"The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program prevents people from suffering unduly from the cold weather," said Wade F. Horn, Ph.D., assistant secretary for children and families. "It is a good example of how the government can intervene with compassion to improve people's lives."

HHS provides LIHEAP funds to states, territories and tribes, which run the programs that provide heating assistance to low-income residents. Individuals can apply for heating assistance through their state LIHEAP offices.

The state allocations follow. These totals include funds that will be provided directly to tribes in these states.

FY 2004 LIHEAP State Allotments
4-Feb-04

Contingency
Distributions
to States

Additional
2nd Quarter
Funds to States

Total
Distribution
to States

Alabama

$339,433

$772,824

$1,112,257

Alaska

$716,967

$0

$716,967

Arizona

$151,678

$107,051

$258,729

Arkansas

$260,600

$659,260

$919,860

California

$1,819,185

$2,219,613

$4,038,798

Colorado

$638,261

$1,288,867

$1,927,128

Connecticut

$3,283,574

$1,897,416

$5,180,990

Delaware

$435,831

$251,846

$687,677

Dist. of Col.

$509,945

$327,413

$837,358

Florida

$540,256

$1,230,055

$1,770,311

Georgia

$427,265

$1,080,885

$1,508,150

Hawaii

$43,028

$503,800

$546,828

Idaho

$244,763

$471,713

$716,476

Illinois

$2,306,624

$5,835,242

$8,141,866

Indiana

$1,044,225

$2,113,626

$3,157,851

Iowa

$740,162

$1,685,200

$2,425,362

Kansas

$339,686

$773,757

$1,113,443

Kentucky

$543,489

$1,374,905

$1,918,394

Louisiana

$349,157

$794,961

$1,144,118

Maine

$2,049,484

$1,184,295

$3,233,779

Maryland

$2,514,192

$1,452,827

$3,967,019

Massachusetts

$6,565,609

$3,789,484

$10,355,093

Michigan

$8,575,305

$4,973,232

$13,548,537

Minnesota

$1,577,726

$3,991,294

$5,569,020

Mississippi

$292,316

$739,492

$1,031,808

Missouri

$921,356

$1,981,199

$2,902,555

Montana

$248,024

$627,447

$875,471

Nebraska

$365,227

$693,921

$1,059,148

Nevada

$77,573

$98,123

$175,696

New Hampshire

$1,243,233

$718,403

$1,961,636

New Jersey

$6,082,341

$3,514,683

$9,597,024

New Mexico

$191,282

$483,899

$675,181

New York

$19,876,108

$11,498,612

$31,374,720

North Carolina

$740,951

$2,826,948

$3,567,899

North Dakota

$1,013,931

$651,000

$1,664,931

Ohio

$8,040,019

$4,645,929

$12,685,948

Oklahoma

$286,355

$652,746

$939,101

Oregon

$246,140

$1,181,577

$1,427,717

Pennsylvania

$10,694,360

$6,179,742

$16,874,102

Rhode Island

$1,078,106

$692,204

$1,770,310

South Carolina

$271,241

$514,633

$785,874

South Dakota

$212,019

$525,631

$737,650

Tennessee

$550,543

$1,044,563

$1,595,106

Texas

$899,037

$2,274,361

$3,173,398

Utah

$1,146,710

$607,396

$1,754,106

Vermont

$931,848

$538,469

$1,470,317

Virginia

$3,062,566

$1,533,745

$4,596,311

Washington

$781,165

$1,976,654

$2,757,819

West Virginia

$1,417,135

$818,891

$2,236,026

Wisconsin

$1,420,180

$2,443,061

$3,863,241

Wyoming

$114,118

$240,375

$354,493

Net to States

$98,220,329

$88,483,270

$186,703,599

Tribes

$1,055,042

$3,579,233

$4,634,275

Territories

$134,629

$3,970

$138,599

    Total

$99,410,000

$92,066,473

$191,476,473

###


Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.

Last Revised: February 5, 2004

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