Maine’s Home Energy Assistance Program Remains Open and Will Continue to Process Applications

MaineHousing Director Dan Brennan Voiced Concern Over Recent News on the Federal LIHEAP Program but Noted this Year’s Program Remains on Track

In response to several media inquries and public questions MaineHousing Director Daniel Brennan is issuing the following statement:

“MaineHousing is very concerned about yesterday’s news that all federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) staff are no longer with the federal Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

At this point, we don’t know the federal Administration’s plan for the program for the long term, and we’ll be working with our Congressional Delegation to get those answers.

In the short term, all current applications for this program year will continue to be processed as planned, since funding for those applications remains available.  As announced on March 12, all applications received through March 28 will be processed normally, with those applications received after March 28 being placed on a waiting list.

We are still expecting the remaining 10% of the grant, which is typically held back, to be released as approved by Congress.  Those funds are dedicated to non-fuel assistance components of the program, so all current fuel assistance applications will be processed as described above for the remainder of this program year.”

ABOUT MAINEHOUSING: MaineHousing is a mission-driven, independent, quasi-state agency created in 1969 by the Maine State Legislature to address the problems of unsafe, unsuitable, overcrowded, and unaffordable housing. A $2.5 billion financial institution with a staff of over 190 people, MaineHousing is governed by a 10-member Board of Commissioners appointed by the Governor. Each year MaineHousing assists more than 90,000 Maine households to buy, heat, rent, and repair their homes while also investing more than $750 million in the Maine economy.