Sen. Kirstin Gillibrand was in Rochester Monday to announce a proposed bill that would bring more funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, known as LIHEAP. The program helps low-income families pay their heating bill.
Gillibrand’s proposal, which the senator wants as part of the next coronavirus relief package, would provide $350 to $675 of assistance per family, a total of $10 billion in additional assistance to eligible New Yorkers..
“Right now LIHEAP provided $1.5 million to New York families, including more than 100,000 families here in Rochester, with resources to pay for their heating bills, said Gillibrand. “We have to make sure that there are more resources than before.”
State Assemblywoman Sarah Clark, a member of the Assembly’s committee on aging, joined Gillibrand at Eastman Reserve, an affordable housing complex, for the announcement. Clark said the funding will ensure that New York’s most vulnerable populations will continue to get their basic needs met.
“Increased funding for LIHEAP will eliminate the stress of having to choose between putting food on the table or providing a safe and warm home for you and your family,” said Clark.
