Press Releases

LOWELL, MA – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) applauded the release of $144,809,942 in federal home heating assistance funding for Massachusetts households through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Yesterday’s release from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) follows Trahan’s advocacy this week urging the immediate release of LIHEAP funds to help families across the country as temperatures drop.

“More than 100,000 familiesacross the Commonwealth depend on LIHEAP funding to keep their homes warm during the winter. This timely disbursement of federal home heating assistance from the Biden-Harris administration will be welcome news for those worried about being forced to choose between paying their utility bill and putting food on the table. I look forward to working with our community advocacy agencies to make sure eligible families get the assistance they need,” said Congresswoman Trahan.

Massachusetts was awarded a total of $144,809,942, a $1 million increase from last year, to assist low-income families ahead of the winter season. This includes:

• $135,117,490 from the regular LIHEAP block grant funding
• $9,692,452 in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

Both homeowners and renters are eligible for home heating assistance funds, which are distributed using state specific income thresholds. In Massachusetts, LIHEAP eligibility is determined by 60 percent of the estimated state median income, and household estimates for this year include:

• One-person household: $49,196
• Two-person household: $64,333
• Three-person household: $79,470
• Four-person household: $94,608

To assist households seeking to determine their eligibility for LIHEAP funding, HHS offers a tool in English, Spanish, traditional Chinese, and simplified Chinese.

While federal investments in LIHEAP were increased by passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the program continues to be underfunded, with just one in five eligible households currently receiving assistance. Last year, Trahan and Congressman James P. McGovern (MA-03) led 114 of their colleagues in requesting increased LIHEAP funding totaling $1.6 billion to meet the true need for aid.

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