On Wednesday, Rep. Salud Carbajal highlighted another $20,649,415 in federal funds available to bring down heating and cooling costs for California’s working families and encouraged Central Coast residents to utilize the funds if they are in need.
The funding has been made available through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which was approved as part of the 2022 funding agreement signed into law in March.
“I know many Central Coast families have been struggling to deal with rising energy prices–and that’s why I’ve fought to increase funding for programs that help cut costs and ensure California homes are ready to withstand the increasingly harsh effects of climate change,” Rep. Carbajal said. “This additional $20 million for California that I helped get signed into law builds on more than $400 million that I’ve secured to help lower energy costs on the Central Coast. No family should have to choose between heating or cooling their home and putting food on the table. I encourage all who are struggling to check their eligibility and reach out to their local LIHEAP team.”
The LIHEAP funds will be used to cut Californians’ energy bills, provide crisis assistance and help weatherize homes to protect against the effects of climate change.
California residents can learn more about LIHEAP, assess their eligibility and find their local resources at https://www.csd.ca.gov/Pages/Assistance-PayingMyEnergyBills.aspx. Californians can also call 2-1-1 to find more information.
More information about LIHEAP can be found at https://www.csd.ca.gov/Pages/LIHEAPProgram.aspx.
The funding announced last week by HHS represents the fourth round of LIHEAP assistance administered over the past year. In total, Rep. Carbajal and Congressional Democrats have secured $407,656,109 for California households since May of 2021.
email: kzehnder@newspress.com
