WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) on Friday joined U.S. Representatives John Larson (D-Conn.-01), Joe Courtney (D-Conn.-02), Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.-03), Jim Himes (D-Conn.-04) and Jahana Hayes (D-Conn-05) to announce Connecticut will receive $77,834,656 from the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to help reduce heating costs for low-income families in Connecticut ahead of the winter season. This is the first allocation of LIHEAP dollars this season.

“For too many families in Connecticut, falling temperatures mean having to choose between heating your home or putting food on the table. This $77.8 million in LIHEAP funding will help ease that burden for households feeling the strain of rising energy costs this winter, and as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I’ll keep working with our delegation to ensure Connecticut families continue to have the support they need so they don’t have to make those difficult choices,” said Murphy.

“This home heating aid is desperately needed by families who face a frigid winter without fuel for basic warmth,” said Blumenthal. “With $77.8 million, many families will be assured this basic necessity. Every day, I see and speak to people struggling to make ends meet and worrying about financial hardships and challenges. I’ll fight for more federal support for LIHEAP and other programs that help them with essential needs.”

“As we approach the winter months, we must ensure all families are able to heat their homes without breaking the bank,” said Larson. “Thanks to the steadfast leadership of Rep. Rosa DeLauro on the Appropriations Committee, I am thrilled to join the entire Connecticut delegation to announce $77.8 million in new funding to help families afford their energy bills. We will continue to work together to ensure Connecticut residents can get the assistance they need this season.” 

“There’s no question high energy costs are pinching homeowners’ wallets. As we head into the colder months, this $77 million federal investment in heating and energy assistance will bring welcomed relief to Connecticut residents,"  said Courtney. 

“High costs are spreading families thin,” said DeLauro. “No family should have to choose between keeping their home warm during the colder months, keeping their lights on, or putting food on the table. As Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, I secured $77.8 million for the program to help Connecticut’s families keep warm this season. Every family deserves warmth. I am committed to ensuring no household goes cold this winter.”

“Too many families have to worry about rising energy costs that make it increasingly difficult to pay their heating bills and keep their children warm in the coming months,” said Himes. “LIHEAP offers a lifeline to struggling Americans to ensure every home offers a reprieve from our cold New England winter. I am proud to help deliver nearly $78 million to Connecticut in federal funding, including over $4 million from President Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.”

“LIHEAP is a lifeline for many families faced with rising heating costs. I am delighted $77.8 million is coming back to Connecticut to help families stay warm this winter,” said Hayes. “This assistance will help to ease the burden of high heating costs. In Congress, I will continue to advocate for additional funding for this vital resource, which lowers utility costs and prevents shut offs across Connecticut.”

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Office of Community Services (OCS) at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), announced the release of $3.6 billion in LIHEAP funding to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, three territories, and more than 125 tribes. This amount includes the regular block grant appropriation and an additional $100.1 million appropriated from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). 

Connecticut was awarded a total of $77,834,656 to assist low-income families ahead of the winter season. This includes:

  • $73,556,784 from the regular LIHEAP block grant funding
  • $4,273,891 in funding appropriated for FY2025 from IIJA and $3,981 in LIHEAP dollars the state returned in FY23

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