December 12, 2023

Gallego Requests Increased Home Energy Assistance Funding

WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-03) 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 energy 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.

Arizona was recently awarded a total of $30,937,243 in LIHEAP funding. In addition, Rep. Gallego announced that nine Arizona Tribes were awarded a total of $2,458,891 in LIHEAP funds. During Arizona’s historic heat wave this summer, Rep. Gallego joined his colleagues in requesting emergency LIHEAP funding.

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 today can be accessed HERE.