Washington, DC – Ohio Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11) on Tuesday announced that Ohio has been awarded $153.6 million in funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)rom the federal government as some Clevelanders in the largely Black urban  city  deal with high energy bills and heightened poverty during a still existing global pandemic.

"No Ohio family should be cold this winter, or have to choose between paying for heat and buying groceries," said Rep. Brown, a Warrensville Hts Democrat and one of three Black women in congress from Ohio. "That's why I've continued to support the LIHEAP program and part of why it was so important to keep the government open. Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this key program receives additional funding to help meet increased needs."

The congresswoman went on to say that "I encourage my constituents who need help with heating bills to visit energyhelp.us or contact my office – we can help you apply,"

Administered through the Administration for Children and Families' Office of Community Services at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, LIHEAP funding will help households with low incomes pay their energy bills. LIHEAP can also be used to weatherize and make residences more energy efficient.

Rep. brown's funding release was made possible by two measures voted for by Congresswoman Brown. The largest portion comes from funds appropriated by Congress in the Continuing Appropriations Act of 2024, passed last month. Additional funding for LIHEAP is from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Congresswoman Brown voted for in 2021.

LIHEAP is federally funded and delivered through the states, including Ohio's HEAP Program.

Rep. Brown's funding announcement includes $153,657,915 total for Ohio:

• $149,159,774 for Ohio from the regular LIHEAP block grant funding
• $4,498,141 additional funding for Ohio from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

LIHEAP Funding Announcement and link to state tables here. HHS release here.

Individuals interested in applying for LIHEAP or learning more about eligibility can visit energyhelp.us or call the National Energy Assistance Referral (NEAR) toll-free at: 1-866-674-6327.

Energy burden is defined as the percentage of gross household income spent on energy costs. According to DOE's Low-Income Energy Affordability Data (LEAD) Tool, the national average energy burden for low-income households is 8.6 percent, three times higher than for non-low-income households, which is estimated at three percent.

• Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, the most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog in Ohio and in the Midwest. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interviewCLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.