Kucinich Announces Two Victories to Help Low-Income Residents with Heating Bills

Washington, DC – April 8, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will provide Ohio with an additional $61.8 million to help low-income homeowners and renters meet home energy costs under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

“In Northeast Ohio, exceptionally cold winters are a fact of life that leave many struggling families out in the cold, figuratively and literally. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program was created to help ensure that vulnerable residents, like the elderly, are able to keep their homes warm in harsh winters and cool in hot summers. Seniors’ health is highly vulnerable to extreme temperatures. These funds will provide valuable assistance to our already fiscally strained community,” said Kucinich.

The new funding was authorized under the current budget continuing resolution. In this round of block grant funding disbursement totaling $311 million, Ohio received significantly more than any other state that was awarded funds.

In addition, Kucinich announced that Governor Kasich will honor the dedication of previously committed funds for Home Weatherization Assistance Program (HWAP) that had been awarded to Cuyahoga County through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Prior to Kucinich’s intervention, the Ohio Department of Development had sought to ‘reclaim’ up to $3.6 million in HWAP funds from Cuyahoga County for other purposes. Kucinich’s letter to Governor Kasich requesting that committed funds be honored can be found here.

For assistance or more information, residents should call Congressman Kucinich’s Lakewood district office at 216-228-8850 or click here.

Contact:
Nathan White (202)225-5871