LIHEAP Federal Staffing Crisis Threatens Energy Assistance for Vulnerable Residents

 

Humboldt County residents could face significant challenges in receiving critical energy assistance due to unexpected federal worker layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services, according to local officials.

Val Martinez, Executive Director of the Redwood Community Action Agency (RCAA), warns that the staffing crisis could potentially paralyze the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which assists low-income households with utility bills and heating costs. “The worst-case scenario is that although Congress has appropriated funds for the program year 2025, the people who would normally be processing invoices and reimbursing states aren’t there and won’t be there,” Martinez explained.

Currently, approximately 40,000 individuals in Humboldt County qualify for LIHEAP, but funding only allows assistance to roughly 1,500 households.

The program, originally created after deregulation of natural gas led to deaths in the mid-Atlantic region, helps low-income families pay for heating, prevent utility shut-offs, and purchase essential fuel sources like firewood and propane.

Martinez shared a poignant example of the program’s impact, recounting a letter from an 85-year-old woman who had been cutting costs by taking only weekly showers and minimizing heat use. The woman ultimately wrote to her congressional representative to advocate for the program’s continuation.

The California Department of Community Services and Development (CSD) has assured providers that, as of April 3, they currently maintain access to federal payment systems and will update agencies if reimbursement becomes compromised.