Johnson announces release of $27 million more for home heating assistance in Georgia

LITHONIA, GA – Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) announced today that more than $845 million was released during the holidays by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to states to help low-income households with their heating and home energy costs under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

Georgia will receive an estimated $60 million this year – $27 million of which was released late last month.

Rep. Johnson wrote a letter Dec. 2 to House leadership urging more funding for LIHEAP after funds were exhausted in Nov. 2011 due to increased demand by seniors and disabled residents.

“This funding is crucial for low-income families who are still struggling to makes ends meet,” said Johnson. “I understand the importance of helping folks during the cold winter months.”

LIHEAP assists low-income households, including families with children and seniors, with their home-energy needs such as heating in the winter, cooling their homes in the summer, and insulating their homes to make them more energy efficient and reduce their energy costs.

Rep. Johnson warned that as more cuts are made to the social safety net, programs like LIHEAP will see even more cuts in the future.

According to the National Energy Assistance Director’s Association, Georgia is getting 70 percent of what it got in FY011 for LIHEAP.

“In the current budget-cutting climate in Congress, it looks like programs such are LIHEAP are going to continue to experience extreme budgetary pressures,” said Johnson.

To read Johnson’s letter, click HERE.

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