LIHEAP DCL Funding Release FY 2018
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program Dear Colleague Letter |
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services |
Re: FY 2018 Funding Release |
Date: October 20, 2017 |
Dear Colleagues:
The Office of Community Services (OCS), Division of Energy Assistance (DEA), is issuing an initial release of approximately $3.03 billion of Federal Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 regular block grant funding to Low Income Home Energy Assistance Programs (LIHEAP) grantees. This funding is provided under the Continuing Appropriations Resolution 2018, Public Law 115-56 (also referred to as a "CR"), which the President signed into law on September 8, 2017, and which is effective until December 8, 2017.
Attached is a table detailing the allocations to state and territory grantees (PDF) and a table detailing the allocations to tribal grantees (PDF) under this funding release. Grantees with completed FY 2018 LIHEAP plans will be sent award letters with their individual funding amounts. Each grantee that submitted a complete LIHEAP plan for FY 2018 received 90 percent of the funding available under the CR, after accounting for a 0.6791 percent rescission in the CR and the annual updates to the LIHEAP allocation formula data used to calculate the block grant allocation award amounts. HHS will not issue Leveraging Incentive Program or Residential Energy Assistance Challenge (REACH) Program funding in FY 2018.
Should you have any questions or need any assistance from our office, please contact your Division of Energy Assistance (DEA) liaison. To view their contact information on our web site, please click here.
Taking into account recent hurricanes and wildfires, we remind you that we have guidance that is still in effect here and here on our LIHEAP web site about the flexibilities grantees have in using LIHEAP funding to assist with disaster recovery and its impact on households’ access to safe, continuous and affordable home energy. Additionally, our agency’s emergency response team has been closely monitoring the various disaster conditions and has additional resources that may prove useful to you. We encourage you to review these resources and share with LIHEAP applicants. You may consider the option of requesting services from our agency’s immediate disaster case management (IDCM) program, see here for more information. Below is a listing of some online resources related to disaster recovery and preparedness that we strongly encourage all of you to consider in assessing the anticipated heating and/or cooling needs of your area, especially in terms of potential crises and disasters:
- Disaster Assistance.gov, https://www.disasterassistance.gov/ This web site allows individuals to apply for disaster assistance and track the status of their application.
- Preparedness for Moms — Planning and Packing for Disasters while Pregnant: /ohsepr/resource/preparedness-for-moms
- Infant Feeding During Disasters: /ohsepr/resource/infant-feeding-during-disasters
- Wildfires; know your risk: https://www.ready.gov/wildfires
- Plan to evacuate: https://www.ready.gov/evacuating-yourself-and-your-family
- Natural Disaster and Severe Weather: https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/wildfires/index.html
- Prepare for Wildfire: http://www.readyforwildfire.org/Go-Evacuation-Guide/
Sincerely, Sincerely,
/s/ /s/
J. Janelle George Lauren S. Christopher
Acting Director Director
Office of Community Services Division of Energy Assistance
Office of Community Services
Attachments:
- 2018 Initial CR Release of LIHEAP Block Grant Funds to States and Territories (PDF)
- 2018 Initial CR Release of LIHEAP Block Grant Funds to Indian Tribes and Tribal Organizations (PDF)
- Disaster Assistance.gov Access to Disaster Help and Resources fact sheet (PDF)