Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) released the following statement today on the Administration’s announcement that it is releasing the funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) that was included in a comprehensive funding measure passed by Congress and signed by the President last month.  The bill provided $5.1 billion for LIHEAP including over $125 million for the state of Connecticut, nearly twice the amount of funding Connecticut received last year.

“Given the drastic increase in the number of Connecticut families applying for heating aid this year, this additional funding is welcome news for our state. More and more families in Connecticut and across the country are struggling to keep up with rising home heating costs. These additional funds will go a long way toward helping the tens of thousands of senior citizens and low income families in our state fighting to stay warm this winter.”

The number of Connecticut households applying for home heating assistance has more than tripled compared to this time last year. Last winter, more than 86,000 households in Connecticut received assistance through LIHEAP, a number which is expected to increase dramatically before the season is over.

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