Low-Income Home Energy Assistance

Objective

The objective of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is to make awards available to states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and Native American tribes and tribal organizations for the purpose of assisting eligible households to meet immediate home energy needs. The target population is low-income households, especially those with the lowest incomes and the highest home energy costs or needs in relation to income and family size. There are four components of LIHEAP: (1) block grants, (2) energy Emergency Contingency funds, (3) Leveraging Incentive awards, and (4) the Residential Energy Assistance Challenge Program (REACH). Block grant funds are distributed by formula to recipients who design their own programs according to very broad federal guidelines. Emergency Contingency funds may be awarded to recipients in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency and typically must be utilized under the normal statutory and regulatory requirements that apply to block grants. Leveraging Incentive funds allows for HHS to set aside a portion of appropriated funding to reward recipients that have acquired non-federal resources to provide services to LIHEAP-eligible households beyond what could be provided by other federal funds. The REACH program makes competitive awards available to recipients to help eligible households reduce their energy vulnerability through community-based organizations. Contingency funds, Leveraging Incentive awards, and REACH funding are only administered when funding for those components is available and allocated to them. This program is administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Community Services.

Who Can Apply

• State
• Territorial
• Tribal

All States, the District of Columbia, federally and State-recognized Indian Tribal governments and organizations, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands may receive direct awards. Only LIHEAP recipients active in FY 2024 received IIJA LIHEAP awards. They did so without the need for a separate application.

Who Benefits

• Senior Citizen (65+)
• Young Child (4-9)
• Pre-Teen (10-12)
• Teen (13-19)
• Adult (20 to 64)
• Homeowner
• Consumer
• U.S. Citizen
• Infant and Toddler (0-3)
• Other

Households with incomes up to the greater of 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) or 60 percent of the estimated State Median Income (SMI) are eligible for benefits—depending on the parameters set by the Recipient State, Tribe or U.S. Territory. Recipients may establish lower income eligibility levels, but they may not set the limit below 110 percent of FPG. Training and Technical Assistance Grants/Contracts: States, the District of Columbia, Indian tribes or tribal organizations, and Territories managing LIHEAP programs are the intended beneficiaries of the technical assistance services. Citizens of Compacts of Free Association (COFA) countries (the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau) residing in the United States are included in the definition of qualified non-citizens and are eligible as of March 9, 2024, for LIHEAP.

Assistance Types

• Grant

Program Contact

Jolleen.George@acf.hhs.gov
2024014830