NEADA Reports LIHEAP Enrollment Increase

The National Energy Assistance Directors' Association (NEADA), representing the state directors of LIHEAP, today released its annual winter heating survey. According to NEADA, the total number of households receiving LIHEAP increased by about 336,000 between 2002 and 2003 and is projected to increase by another 323,000 in FY 2004. The estimates for FY 2004 are based on state projections based on the rate of growth in the program this year as compared to last year at this time.

According to Mark Wolfe, Executive Director of NEADA, the reasons for the increases are: continued high unemployment among low wage workers, rapidly rising energy prices and very cold weather conditions in many parts of the country. If the rate of increase continues, he said, many states will not have sufficient funds available to run cooling programs this summer, provide assistance to families threatened with shut-off conditions this spring as winter heating moratoriums expire and continue to provide assistance for more than a few more weeks. In addition, many states will be required to reduce their benefit levels if the current rate of growth continues or will have to shut their doors early to address the increase in energy assistance recipients.

States with increases of above 20 percent since 2002 include: Alabama (29.4), Arkansas (20.2), California (105.8), Indiana (23.9), Kansas (31.9), Maryland (23.5), Minnesota (22.7), Mississippi (31.9), Nebraska (25.3), New Hampshire (25.4), New Jersey (38.3), North Carolina (21.1), Ohio (27.5), Oklahoma (67.0), Oregon (25) and Texas (35.8).

Page Last Updated: April 18, 2008