Kamlager-Dove Joins 115 House Members in Requesting Increased Home Heating Assistance Funding

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - December 12, 2023

Media Contact: Maya Valentine | maya.valentine@mail.house.gov

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) joined 115 House members in requesting increased funding totaling $1.6 billion for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

“As you know, LIHEAP helps families who are at risk of being unable to afford to heat their homes in the winter or cool them in the summer. Last year, more than six million households across the country relied on critical assistance from the LIHEAP program,” the lawmakers wrote. “For the families who receive LIHEAP, it is a critical lifeline that prevents them from making the impossible choice between staying warm and having enough food or paying for their medications.”

In Fiscal Year 2023, the LIHEAP program distributed a total of more than $4.5 billion in home heating assistance to families across the United States, including $100 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding and an additional $1 billion from the government funding package passed in September 2022. Despite the significant federal investment, LIHEAP continues to be underfunded, with just 20 percent of eligible households currently receiving assistance through the program.

California was recently awarded a total of $226,816,279 in LIHEAP funding for this winter, including $221,155,313 in formula funding and an additional $5,660,966 from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. To assist households seeking to determine their eligibility for LIHEAP funding, HHS recently released a tool in English, Spanish, traditional Chinese, and simplified Chinese for households to quickly determine their eligibility.

A copy of the request sent can be accessed here.

For a list of LIHEAP awards for Indigenous Tribes and Tribal Organizations, CLICK HERE.

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