Rep. Scholten Sounds Alarm On Threat To Home Heating Assistance

November 7, 2025 Press Release In FY2023, 430,000 Michiganders Relied On LIHEAP To Pay Their Energy Bills Due to Funding Shortfall, Michigan Is Set To Run Out Of LIHEAP Funding By Mid-November GRAND RAPIDS, MI - MONDAY, November 10th 9:30 AM : U.S. Representative Hillary Scholten will stand at a local senior center to discuss the delay in the federal government’s distribution of funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). LIHEAP helps about 6 million households nationwide pay their heating bills, buy fuel, fix broken heaters, and make cost-effective repairs to their heating systems. Because of the ongoing government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has not distributed LIHEAP funding to states as it usually would at this time of year. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is currently using leftover money from last year to provide emergency assistance but is projected to run out of funds by the third or fourth week of November. With winter fast approaching, this delay could have severe consequences for the 430,000 Michiganders who rely on LIHEAP to stay warm. Representative Scholten will be joined by local leaders and advocates. WHO:        Representative Hillary Scholten State Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks State Representative Kristian Grant State Representative John Fitzgerald Director Of Client Services at Senior Neighbors Inc. Akuna Kamara Director of the Kent County Essential Needs Task Force Wende Randall DATE:                Monday, November 10th TIME:                9:30 AM LOCATION:     Local Senior Center Grand Rapids, MI Exact address provided upon RSVP to Ishya.Verma@mail.house.gov ### Issues : Congress Economy Energy