More than $100 million available for Low-Income Energy Assistance Program

More than $100 million available for Low-Income Energy Assistance Program

Grant money to assist Floridians with providing basic heating and cooling necessities for their homes

NOVEMBER 7, 2008 - The Department of Community Affairs (DCA) announced a significant increase in funding for its Low-Income Housing Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), resulting in a total of more than $100 million being available to those low-income residents that need emergency financial assistance to heat and cool their homes.

"These difficult economic times make it hard for families to provide even the most basic necessities, and this assistance comes at a time when more residents are in need of help," said Governor Charlie Crist. "I applaud the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for providing our state with this significant increase in funding, and I'm confident Secretary Pelham and his agency will make the most efficient use of these funds in helping those citizens who need it the most."

The state received a total of $101 million, more than doubling the annual amount the agency has received in recent years. These funds assist low-income individuals unable to afford even the most basic necessities such as heating and cooling of their homes as well as enable energy conservation improvements to be made to some of these homes. With these funds, the agency and its local provider agencies expect to assist more than 160,000 residents with crisis utility payments.

"These funds will go a long way toward assisting tens of thousands of Floridians," said DCA Secretary Tom Pelham. "Our agency looks forward to distributing these funds and making a difference in the lives of those people in desperate need."

The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program provides grants to local governments and non-profit agencies to assist eligible low-income households with critical needs to meet the costs of home heating and cooling. To find out about qualifications, residents should contact their county's local LIHEAP agency, which can be found on the DCA Web site at http://www.floridacommunitydevelopment.org/liheap/index.cfm, or by calling the state's information line at 2-1-1.

The Department of Community Affairs is the state's land planning and community development agency. Its role is to assist Florida's communities as they meet the needs of Florida's ever-expanding population by ensuring that new growth complies with the state's vital growth management laws, while also helping established communities revitalize their older or traditional neighborhoods.