MaineHousing To Utilize Carryover Funds To Make Heap Payments For Nearly 4,000 Households

AUGUSTA - MaineHousing announced Wednesday that an initial round of Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) payments will be issued to vendors on behalf of eligible households already approved for assistance, utilizing carryover funds from last year.

"As MaineHousing-like many other agencies and individuals-continues to await the end of the federal government shutdown, it was critical that we do what we can to help alleviate the stress, anxiety, and hardship this prolonged shutdown is causing here in Maine," said MaineHousing Director Dan Brennan. "This will help prevent heating emergencies for our most vulnerable neighbors, family members, and friends."

This funding is available due to MaineHousing's reallocation of 2024-2025 carry-over funds originally designated for the Central Heating Improvement Program (CHIP) and HEAP-related weatherization programs.

Over the next several weeks, households that applied in August and September will have funds placed on account with their vendor. Early applications prioritize the most vulnerable populations, including older Mainers, households with young children, and those at risk of hypothermia.

Funding for the remaining applications will not be available until the federal government reopens and releases Maine's share of the HEAP Program, approximately $40 million annually. Of that total, roughly $26 million is allocated directly to eligible households for fuel assistance, with the remainder allocated to program administration and related initiatives, such as CHIP and weatherization.

Funding for the Energy Crisis Intervention Program (ECIP), a subset of HEAP, will not be available until the federal government reopens and Maine's grant for the current heating season is released.

"Borrowing funds from one program to pay for another is certainly not ideal and is not a long-term solution," Brennan said. "These programs will be repaid once the federal government reopens and Maine's HEAP grant is released. By taking this step now, as winter approaches, we hope that at least some of our most vulnerable households will be able to avoid a heating emergency."

Approximately $2.2 million will be paid to participating fuel vendors serving about 4,000 homes. Brennan credited the support of Maine's energy vendors-many of which are small, community-based businesses-for making this first round of aid possible.

"This will get their trucks rolling. Both our vendors and Maine's community action agencies are key partners in this effort," Brennan said. "While federal funding for this vital program remains uncertain, their commitment to helping their neighbors stay warm during our cold winter months does not."

ABOUT MAINEHOUSING: MaineHousing is a mission-driven, independent, quasi-state agency created in 1969 by the Maine State Legislature to address the problems of unsafe, unsuitable, overcrowded, and unaffordable housing. A $3.1 billion financial institution with a staff of over 180 people, MaineHousing is governed by a 10-member Board of Commissioners appointed by the Governor. Each year MaineHousing assists more than 90,000 Maine households to buy, heat, rent, and repair their homes while also investing more than $750 million in the Maine economy.