Menendez, Booker Announce Over $11 Million in Heating, Energy Assistance for Vulnerable NJ Families

Statement

Today, U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker (both D-N.J.) announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released $11,166,516 million for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in New Jersey. These funds are in addition to the $114,114,518 in LIHEAP funding for New Jersey announced back in October. This program provides critical assistance to low-income families who struggle each winter to pay their energy bills.

"This federal funding will help hundreds of thousands of low-income families, seniors and laid off workers in New Jersey stay warm as they struggle to make ends meet," said Sen. Menendez. "I commend the Department of Health and Human Services for rightfully making the LIHEAP assistance program a top priority so we can protect our most vulnerable during these cold winter months."

"Funding LIHEAP is critical to providing access to affordable home energy for the most vulnerable households in our state," said Sen. Booker. "This is welcomed help to an elderly couple or single parent who now will not have to choose between paying their energy bills and affording other necessities like food and medicine. We have a responsibility to ensure that our residents who are struggling to make ends meet are able to stay warm this winter. This is a matter of health and safety for many low-income households, children, and seniors and I am happy to see that this funding is being released to our state in a timely manner, when it is needed most."

LIHEAP assists qualified families 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 efficient and reduce their energy costs. For more information on the LIHEAP program in New Jersey, call 1-800-510-3102 (LIHEAP) or call the National Energy Assistance Referral hotline at 1-866-674-6327.

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