SHAHEEN, AYOTTE ANNOUNCE RELEASE OF ADDITIONAL LIHEAP FUNDING FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE
Release of funds will benefit low-income New Hampshire families and seniors who need assistance with energy costs during winter months
(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) today announced that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will release additional Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds for FY 2015. Following repeated calls from Shaheen and Ayotte asking the Administration to bolster the home-heating assistance program, New Hampshire will receive more than $25 million for the 2015 fiscal year.
"LIHEAP assistance provides a lifeline for low-income families and seniors across New Hampshire, and this release of funds is welcome news,” said Shaheen and Ayotte. "Families in our state should never have to choose between heating their homes and purchasing groceries or medicine. These resources will go a long way toward assisting Granite State families in need during the cold winter months."
In recent years, record numbers of Americans have applied for home heating assistance. Currently, however, the number of households eligible for LIHEAP continues to surpass those able to receive assistance. Shaheen and Ayotte have continually advocated for LIHEAP support, which is critical for many New Hampshire seniors and low-income families during the cold winter months. The amount released today provides an additional $2.27 million from the initial FY 2015 release.
