The Future of LIHEAP Funding: Will Families Get the Cold Shoulder this Winter?
Channel: HouseResourceOrg
Date: 2011-04-17

The Future of LIHEAP Funding: Will Families Get the Cold Shoulder this Winter? - Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming - 2008-09-25 - The dramatic increase in the price of oil this summer caused consumer havoc at the pump. Now, as the winter months quickly approach, families are facing the cold reality that the cost to heat their homes will skyrocket as well. Home heating oil prices are expected to spike upwards of .60 per gallon this winter, a record. That could drive the total heating costs for average families above ,000. The Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming held a hearing looking into immediate funding concerns of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) as well as long term reform measures to help families cope with rising prices. The hearing featured Governor Deval Patrick from Massachusetts, where 4 out of 5 homes use heating oil or natural gas. In 2005, 5.3 million households received LIHEAP heating or winter crisis assistance, yet this represented only 15 percent of federally eligible households.  Representative Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and 94 of his Congressional colleagues sent a letter calling for full funding of LIHEAP at .1 billion to stave off what could be a disastrous winter for millions of American families. Last year the program only received  billion in regular funds. The crisis is not just isolated in cold-weather areas, however. WITNESS LIST: Honorable Deval Patrick, Governor, Commonwealth of Massachusetts; Mr. Howard Gruenspecht, Acting Administrator, Energy Information Administration; Mr. Mark Wolfe, Executive Director, National Energy Assistance Directors' Association; Mr. John Drew, Executive Vice President, Action for Boston Community Development, Inc.  Video provided by the U.S. House of Representatives.