In full transparency, the following is a press release from Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark’s office to SOURCE media. Clark is the congresswoman for this area. She is a Democrat. (stock photo)
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WASHINGTON DC – Today, April 27, Assistant Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Katherine Clark (MA-5) announced that Massachusetts will receive $13 million in federal funds to bring down heating and cooling costs.
These investments will cut Massachusetts residents’ energy bills, provide crisis assistance to low-income families, and help weatherize homes. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) assists eligible low-income households with their heating and cooling energy costs, bill payment assistance, energy crisis assistance, weatherization, and energy-related home repairs.
“According to some estimates, over 400,000 Massachusetts residents are 90 days late on their energy bills. Rising costs are forcing families to choose between necessities like heating and energy bills, and groceries and medication – it’s unacceptable,” said Assistant Speaker Clark. “Today, I’m proud to announce that the Commonwealth will be receiving $13 million through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to help families pay their energy bills and weatherize their homes to bring down costs for years to come. As we continue to deliver for Massachusetts families, House Democrats remain focused on lowering costs across the board to give every American family a fair shot at success.”
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This funding is administered under LIHEAP, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services program. These investments are especially critical for lower-income households and communities of color who continue to disproportionately feel the impacts of climate change and extreme weather.
Clark has been a leader in the fight to increase funding for LIHEAP, including authoring several letters to the Biden Administration calling for greater funding for the program and urgent investments to address the current spike in oil prices due to the war in Ukraine.
The funding announced today represents the fourth round of LIHEAP assistance over the past year. In total, Congressional Democrats have secured $325 million in energy assistance for Massachusetts households since last May. Previous rounds were delivered through:
- American Rescue Plan: $187 million
- 2021 Continuing Resolution: $120 million
- Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: $3.97 million
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Christa McAuliffe Center