Feds give Louisiana $61M to help residents with heating, cooling

New Orleans CityBusiness, Oct 17, 2008 by Reports

Louisiana will receive $61.5 million from the federal government to help low-income households pay heating and cooling costs, the head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said.

Louisiana will receive the funds from the federal government's Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. LIHEAP funding is administered to states through the Office of Community Services in HHS' Administration for Children and Families.

"The release of these funds will help low-income families in Louisiana stay warm this winter," HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said. "These funds will also help reduce the risk of health and safety problems exacerbated by exposure to extreme temperatures."

States will receive their entire fiscal 2009 block grant allocations before Oct. 30. Of the $5.1 billion total LIHEAP funding released Thursday, $57.2 million will be allocated to Louisiana under the regular block grant and $4.3 million will be allocated as emergency contingency funds.

For a complete list of state allocations of the funds released Thursday, go to www.acf.hhs.gov/news/press/2008/ liheap_allocations_fy2009.htm.

Individuals interested in applying for energy assistance should contact their local LIHEAP agency. For more information, go to www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/liheap or www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/liheap/ brochure.html.

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