Maine’s Senator Susan Collins (R) announced Friday that she and two other lawmakers led a bipartisan group of senators in asking the federal Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to release heating assistance funds as quickly as possible.
During the record-long government shutdown, states including Maine were delayed in receiving funding for their heating assistance programs, forcing them to put the distribution of most benefits on hold.
Now that the government has been reopened, Sen. Collins has joined Rhode Island’s Sen. Jack Reed (D) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) of Alaska in urging the DHHS to make available the funding allocated for these programs, calling the money “overdue.”
[RELATED: Maine’s Emergency Heating Assistance Program On Hold As Government Shutdown Continues]
“With winter approaching and energy costs rising, $4 billion in LIHEAP assistance is still waiting to be distributed after being delayed by the government shutdown,” wrote Collins on X Friday.
“More than 6.2 million low-income households and seniors rely on this program,” Collins said. “That is why we’re calling for the Administration to release the highest amount possible now so that families aren’t forced to choose between heat and other necessities.”
Collins also points out in her post that applications for assistance are currently being accepted by the Maine State Housing Authority.
[RELATED: 4,000 Maine Households to Receive Help Paying for Heat Despite Record-Setting Government Shutdown]
Despite the lack of funding for their primary heating assistance program, MaineHousing was able to aid 4,000 of the state’s most at-risk households by utilizing carryover funds from last year.
Although the Maine State House Authority has continued to accept applications for assistance, more aid cannot be distributed until the state’s federal grant is released.
Click Here for More Information on Maine’s Heating Assistance Program
