FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, February 5, 2004
Contact: Chris Downing
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.
| 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 |
###
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