Padilla, Feinstein Announce Over $382 Million to Help Lower Income California Families with Heating Costs
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Dianne Feinstein (both D-Calif.) announced that California is receiving over $382 million in federal funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). This funding comes from the American Rescue Plan and the Further Extending Government Funding Act, which both Padilla and Feinstein voted to pass
“As we face the highly transmissible COVID-19 Omicron variant, it is especially critical for families to be able to keep the lights on and have reliable heat to stay safe at home,” Senator Padilla said. “Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, California is receiving hundreds of millions of dollars to help hardworking families with the cost of heating and other utilities this winter.”
“Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, Californians will receive more than double the assistance to help pay for energy bills this winter,” Senator Feinstein said. “Thanks to this additional funding, more families will be able to stay warm by avoiding devastating power shutoffs and receiving assistance in weatherizing their homes.”
California is receiving $382,838,846 total in LIHEAP funding. $203,610,805 comes from the American Rescue Plan, and $179,228,041 comes from the Further Extending Government Funding Act.
LIHEAP is a federally funded program aimed to assist low-income households that pay a high portion of their income to meet their energy needs. Information on California’s LIHEAP program, including income eligibility, is available here.
The American Rescue Plan more than doubled LIHEAP Funding. In 2021, the Biden-Harris Administration and Congressional Democrats delivered $8 billion in LIHEAP funding nationally, thanks to an additional $4.5 billion provided by the American Rescue Plan. These funds represent the largest appropriation in a single year for the program since it was established in 1981.
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