Liheap gets more.(low income households energy assistance program)

LIHEAP GETS MORE--Another $1 billion in home heating assistance will be provided to low-income households this year, under legislation signed into law late last month. The measure, S. 2320, includes $500 million in additional block grant funding and another $500 million in contingency funding, which Bush released March 23, three days after signing the bill.

The extra money will boost total funding in most states from last year to this year under the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (see table, page 52). The LIHEAP budget now stands at $3.1 billion for fiscal 2006, and $101 million remains available for crises under the emergency contingency fund, according to the Health and Human Services Department.

The $1 billion does not represent new money from Congress; rather, it is an acceleration of funds the lawmakers had approved for fiscal 2007 in the Deficit Reduction Act. The new measure stipulates that states cannot use the money to cover administrative costs. Under current law, states can use up to 10 percent of program funds for administrative purposes.

Lawmakers from cold-weather states and advocates for the poor have been vociferously arguing for more home heating assistance during a winter that is seeing record fuel burdens. All ...