"The shutdown has delayed federal funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, a program that helps about 6 million households nationwide pay their heating or cooling bills, buy fuel or fix broken heaters. For nearly a decade, preschool teacher Justina Ray has relied on LIHEAP to heat her Pennsylvania home. "My income itself comes down with all the holidays and the school closures," Ray said. Without LIHEAP, she said, her winter energy bills are "not affordable.""
"Around this time each year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sends most of the annual LIHEAP funding to states to run the program. But because of the shutdown, that hasn't happened. So Pennsylvania has delayed the start of its LIHEAP program by a month, from early November to early December. It's one of several states, including New York, Maine, Minnesota and Wyoming, that have announced delays or disruptions to their programs due to the shutdown."
Federal funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) has been delayed by the federal government shutdown, preventing the usual annual distributions to states. LIHEAP helps about 6 million households pay heating or cooling bills, buy fuel, or repair heaters. States such as Pennsylvania have postponed program starts and are waiting for federal guarantees. Several states announced delays or are using leftover federal funds, emergency funds, or state money to provide assistance. Families dependent on LIHEAP report delaying turning on heat and facing unaffordable winter energy costs, creating difficult choices for households with limited incomes.
Read at www.npr.org
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