In response to the growing demands on states and families for much needed relief, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the release of $490 million in contingency funding to help eligible low-income homeowners and renters meet home energy costs. These Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) contingency funds will provide states, territories, tribes and the District of Columbia with additional assistance to pay heating and electricity costs.
The contingency funds released are in addition to basic LIHEAP funding states receive automatically. HHS released $2.6 billion in October and $1.2 billion last week in regular block grant funds. Today’s $490 million release is from a $590 million LIHEAP contingency fund leaving $100 million available for unanticipated events in the contingency fund.
Texas was allocated $26,937,759. For a complete list of state allocations of the funds released today go to: http://www.hhs.gov/children/liheap2010.html/.