Hartford – The Connecticut Congressional delegation today applauded the United States Department of Human Health and Services (HHS) announcement that it is releasing $7.7 million in additional funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in Connecticut. The additional funds bring Connecticut’s total secured in Fiscal Year 2015 total from $77 million to $85 million. LIHEAP is a federal program that is vital in assisting low income households and senior citizens in paying their energy bills so that they may afford other necessities, which is crucial to these families during the freezing winter and hot summer months.


“With some of the year’s coldest weeks still ahead, we applaud HHS for releasing these additional funds. LIHEAP is critical for Connecticut families – for some it’s a matter of life and death,” the Delegation stated. “This program ensures that Connecticut families’ homes remain heated throughout the worst of the winter season, and we’ll continue to fight to preserve funding for this high-priority program, which helps more than 100,000 Connecticut residents annually.”


This past winter has highlighted the exceptional need for LIHEAP funding. Constant freezing temperatures resulted in high energy costs for many families, creating a home heating crisis, and thus LIHEAP has experienced a massive influx of residents requesting assistance in recent years.


The Connecticut Congressional delegation has been tirelessly advocating for additional LIHEAP funding. DeLauro is the senior Democrat on the subcommittee responsible for funding the Department of Health and Human Services, which administers LIHEAP.