Congresswoman Adams Announces Release of $77.7 Million in Home Heating Assistance Funding For North Carolina

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Alma S. Adams (NC-12) today announced the release of $77,784,044 in Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding for North Carolina. Earlier this week, Congresswoman Adams led a letter from a bipartisan group of 75 Members of Congress urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Burwell to quickly release the LIHEAP funding. In total, more than $3 billion in LIHEAP funding was released nationwide, making energy assistance funds available to states, tribes and territories for heating and cooling assistance.

"This is great news for the more than 220,000 North Carolinians who rely on energy assistance programs to keep warm during the winter and cool during the summer," said Congresswoman Adams. "No one should have to choose between heating their homes or feeding their family. This announcement comes just in time for the winter weather season."

The HHS Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program is a federal program that helps low-income individuals including many seniors, veterans and the disabled pay their energy bills. The program is available during winter and summer months. $3.35 billion in LIHEAP funding was released for fiscal year 2015. LIHEAP provided heating assistance to more than 6.6 million households and cooling assistance to more than 1 million households during fiscal year 2014. The funding announced today is part of the initial LIHEAP funding provided under the Continuing Appropriations Resolution of 2016.

Full text of the letter to HHS is attached.