WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) joined the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation in releasing the following statement in celebration of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarding Massachusetts more than $130 million in funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to provide assistance on household energy bills:

“No family should have to suffer through a cold winter in Massachusetts simply because they cannot afford to heat their home. LIHEAP funding is a lifeline for tens of thousands of Bay Staters and their families every year,” said the lawmakers. “This $130 million will help make sure that families can afford the heating they need to stay warm and safe. We will keep fighting for bigger, bolder LIHEAP investments so that low-income households in every corner of our Commonwealth aren’t forced to choose between chills and bills.”   

The funding release includes funds appropriated by Congress from the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2024, as well as $100 million appropriated for Fiscal Year 2024 from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Nearly $200,000 of the funding was awarded to Tribal nations in Massachusetts for direct administration of LIHEAP.

In November 2022, Congresswoman Pressley joined Vice President Kamala D. Harris and Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) at the Sheet Metal Workers Local 17 in Dorchester to discuss the Inflation Reduction Act and promote federal efforts that will support fuel assistance, lower home energy costs for Massachusetts families, and improve access to affordable and efficient clean energy home upgrades across the country.

In October, Rep. Pressley joined Rep. Lori Trahan (MA-03) and members of the Massachusetts Delegation in requesting that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services expedite the release of Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding for this winter.