TOPEKA, KS – Congresswoman Nancy Boyda (Kansas Second District) announced today that the Low Income Housing Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) through the United States Department of Health and Human Services has released $818,000 to help low income families in the State of Kansas.

“While this funding should have come much sooner, I am pleased that this extra money we’ve been fighting for will finally come to Kansas,” said Rep. Boyda. “It is imperative that Washington do everything possible to give our hardworking and fixed-income families some relief.”

LIHEAP is a federally funded block grant program implemented at the State, Tribal, and Insular Area levels and is available in the State of Kansas through the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services (SRS).

Secretary Don Jordan of Kansas SRS commented, “With the rising cost of living we are facing, I'm very pleased that we will have additional funding to help low income Kansans with home heating costs as we enter the cold winter months.”

The program assists low income families with the cost of their home energy bills. To qualify for the program, individuals or families must use a high percentage of their household income for home energy. Among providing financial assistance towards a household's energy bill, the program also grants emergency assistance to prevent or restore shut off service. Also, LIHEAP can apply to other energy-related services that the States may offer, such as weatherization improvements, utility equipment repair and replacement, and budgeting counseling.

The final LIHEAP contingency funds for Fiscal Year 2008 were released this week. Despite skyrocketing energy costs, President Bush has proposed no increase in LIHEAP funds and has threatened to veto any funding that exceeds his proposal. Despite the threat, Rep. Boyda has been working with Congressional appropriators since last winter to increase funding for LIHEAP.

Congresswoman Boyda stated, “It is mind-boggling that the President doesn’t understand how critical this assistance is for low income families. Everyone has to be able to heat their homes, but soaring energy costs are stretching some families’ budgets beyond the breaking point. We need to make sure that LIHEAP continues to be available to help these families make it through the hard Kansas winter.”