Emergency Funding Released at Smith and Wyden's Request

Press Release

An additional $1.8 million will help low income families heat their homes this winter.

Oregon is set to receive over an additional $1.8 million for low income homeowners and renters to pay rising energy costs. The emergency funding was requested by Oregon Senators Gordon Smith and Ron Wyden and several other Senators from cold weather states.

"When money is running low, heating your home is somethng you can't afford to cut back on," Smith said. "A little help paying the heating bills will go a long way for Oregon families living from paycheck to paycheck."

"When freezing temperatures arrive, home heating is a need, not a choice," said Wyden. "This funding will provide relief to Oregon families who cannot afford home heating this winter."

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Department released $450 million in additional funding at the request of the Senators. This funding is part of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The program allocates funding to all 50 states to provide financial assistance to individuals struggling to pay their energy bills.

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