Gov. Peter Shumlin and the Vermont Emergency Board on Thursday approved an additional $2 million in funding to help low-income residents heat their homes this winter, as the state continued to step in to offset cuts in federal funding.
The 2013 Legislature approved $6 million for this program as part of the annual appropriation bill, with the expectation that additional funds might be necessary. The total amount of funds for this year's LIHEAP will be approximately $25 million. Funds will be distributed in the first half of November.
No state funds were contributed to LIHEAP prior to federal fiscal year 2005. In recent years, federal funds have steadily declined from a high of $38 million in 2009 to an expected $17 million for this winter.
