Order Code RS21605
Updated March 11, 2008
Low Income Home Energy
Assistance Program (LIHEAP):
Estimated Allocations
Libby Perl
Analyst in Housing
Domestic Social Policy Division
Summary
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a block grant
program under which the federal government gives annual grants to states, the District
of Columbia, U.S. territories and commonwealths, and Indian tribal organizations to
operate multi-component home energy assistance programs for needy households. This
report contains two tables that show estimated LIHEAP allocations to the states. Table
1 shows state allocations at various levels: (1) the amount appropriated for FY2006, (2)
the amount appropriated for FY2007, (3) the amount appropriated in FY2008, and (4)
estimated state allocations based on the amount requested by the President for FY2009.
Table 2 shows estimated state allocations at other hypothetical appropriations
increments. For detailed information on how the LIHEAP formula allocates funds to
the states, see CRS Report RL33275, Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Allocation
Rates: Legislative History and Current Law, by Libby Perl. This report will be updated
when proposed funding levels change.
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a block grant
program under which the federal government gives annual grants to states, the District of
Columbia, U.S. territories and commonwealths, and Indian tribal organizations to operate
multi-component home energy assistance programs for needy households.1 Established
in 1981 by Title XXVI of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (P.L. 97-35), LIHEAP
has been reauthorized and amended several times, most recently in 2005, when the Energy
Policy Act (P.L. 109-58) reauthorized annual regular LIHEAP funds at $5.1 billion per
year from FY2005 to FY2007. The total LIHEAP appropriation in the FY2008
Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 110-161) was approximately $2.57 billion. In
1 For additional information on LIHEAP, see CRS Report RL31865, The Low-Income Home
Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP): Program and Funding, by Libby Perl.

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CRS-2
FY2007 Congress appropriated $2.16 billion for the program (P.L. 110-5), and in
FY2006, $3.161 billion was appropriated for LIHEAP (P.L. 109-149 and P.L. 109-204),
the largest amount ever appropriated for the program.
The LIHEAP statute provides for two types of program funding: block grant funds
and contingency funds. This report focuses on the distribution of block grant funds,
sometimes referred to as regular funds. The block grant funds are allotted to states
according to methods prescribed by the LIHEAP statute.2 The method of allotment may
change based on the amount of funds appropriated by Congress. In both FY2007 and
FY2008, $1.98 billion was allocated to block grant funds, and in FY2006, $2.48 billion
of the total LIHEAP appropriation was distributed as block grant funds. The second type
of LIHEAP funding, called contingency funds, may be released and allotted to one or
more states at the discretion of the President and the Secretary of Health and Human
Services (HHS). The contingency funds may be released at any point in the fiscal year
to meet additional home energy assistance needs created by a natural disaster or other
emergency.3 Of the total appropriated for LIHEAP in FY2008, approximately $590
million was for contingency funds.
LIHEAP Block Grant Funding Levels
In the FY2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 110-161), Congress
appropriated just more than $1.98 billion for the LIHEAP block grant. P.L. 110-161
contained an across-the-board rescission of 1.747% that reduced the stated amounts
appropriated for most Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education
programs.4 The $1.98 billion appropriation for the block grant is the amount available
after this rescission. The rescission also meant that the amounts allocated from the block
grant for leveraging incentive and Residential Energy Assistance Challenge Option
Program (REACH) grants and training and technical assistance were reduced by 1.747%.
These funds are set aside out of the block grant before funds are distributed to the states,
resulting in slightly higher allocations to the states in FY2008 compared to FY2007 even
though the same amount was appropriated each year. See Table 1, column (c) for the
amounts allocated to the states in FY2008, and column (b) for amounts allocated to the
states in FY2007. For FY2009, the President has requested a total of $2 billion for
LIHEAP; of this amount, $1.7 billion would be allocated to the block grant. Column (d)
of Table 1 shows estimated allocations to the states at an appropriation of $1.7 billion.
Column (a) shows the amount allotted to each state in FY2006, when $2.48 billion was
appropriated for LIHEAP block grant funds.
Following Table 1, Table 2 shows estimated allocations to the states at various
hypothetical appropriations levels. These amounts are $1.75 billion, $2.0 billion, $2.25
2 See Section 2604(a)-(d) of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Act (Title XXVI of P.L.
97-35), as amended. The section is codified at 42 U.S.C. §8623(a)-(d).
3 Depending on how Congress appropriates them, contingency funds may remain available for
distribution in more than one fiscal year or they may expire with the fiscal year for which they
were appropriated.
4 See Division G, Section 528 of P.L. 110-161.

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CRS-3
billion, $2.5 billion, $2.75 billion, $3.0 billion, $4.0 billion, and $5.1 billion (the amount
at which the LIHEAP program was last authorized in P.L. 109-58).
Table 1. LIHEAP Actual State Block Grant Fund Allotments for
FY2006, FY2007, and FY2008, and Estimated Allotments for FY2009
($ in millions)
FY2009 Est.
FY2006
FY2007
FY2008
Allotments at
Actual
Actual
Actual
President’s
Allotments:
Allotments:
Allotments:
Request:
$2.48 billiona
$1.98 billionb
$1.98 billionc
$1.7 billiond
State
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Alabama
31.310
16.769
16.774
14.365
Alaska
12.572
10.704
10.707
9.169
Arizona
15.142
8.110
8.112
6.947
Arkansas
22.765
12.796
12.799
10.961
California
153.184
89.963
89.985
77.062
Colorado
31.729
31.367
31.375
26.869
Connecticut
47.809
40.920
40.930
35.052
Delaware
10.141
5.431
5.433
4.652
District of Columbia
7.852
6.355
6.356
5.444
Florida
49.542
26.534
26.541
22.729
Georgia
39.170
20.979
20.985
17.971
Hawaii
2.555
2.113
2.113
1.810
Idaho
14.370
12.235
12.238
10.481
Illinois
145.959
113.259
113.287
97.017
Indiana
53.986
51.280
51.293
43.927
Iowa
36.762
36.343
36.352
31.131
Kansas
26.798
16.690
16.695
14.297
Kentucky
44.347
26.686
26.693
22.859
Louisiana
32.010
17.144
17.148
14.686
Maine
26.815
26.509
26.516
22.708
Maryland
58.499
31.332
31.340
26.839
Massachusetts
82.797
81.853
81.873
70.115
Michigan
108.770
107.529
107.556
92.109
Minnesota
78.363
77.469
77.488
66.359
Mississippi
26.843
14.377
14.381
12.315
Missouri
59.541
45.240
45.251
38.752
Montana
16.856
14.351
14.355
12.293
Nebraska
21.109
17.973
17.978
15.396
Nevada
7.112
3.809
3.810
3.263
New Hampshire
18.197
15.493
15.497
13.271
New Jersey
77.540
75.988
76.007
65.091
New Mexico
11.925
10.153
10.156
8.697
New York
250.974
248.112
248.173
212.531
North Carolina
69.038
36.976
36.985
31.674
North Dakota
18.310
15.590
15.594
13.354
Ohio
122.259
100.194
100.219
85.826
Oklahoma
28.780
15.415
15.418
13.204
Oregon
24.591
24.311
24.317
20.825

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CRS-4
FY2009 Est.
FY2006
FY2007
FY2008
Allotments at
Actual
Actual
Actual
President’s
Allotments:
Allotments:
Allotments:
Request:
$2.48 billiona
$1.98 billionb
$1.98 billionc
$1.7 billiond
State
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Pennsylvania
134.810
133.273
133.306
114.161
Rhode Island
15.825
13.473
13.477
11.541
South Carolina
24.867
13.318
13.322
11.408
South Dakota
14.871
12.662
12.665
10.846
Tennessee
46.363
27.033
27.039
23.156
Texas
82.421
44.144
44.155
37.814
Utah
17.120
14.576
14.580
12.486
Vermont
13.639
11.613
11.616
9.947
Virginia
71.259
38.166
38.175
32.692
Washington
40.450
39.988
39.998
34.254
West Virginia
23.818
17.660
17.665
15.128
Wisconsin
70.538
69.733
69.750
59.733
Wyoming
6.854
5.836
5.838
4.999
Total
2,449.16
1,949.83
1,950.314
1,670.213
Source: Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) final allocations for FY2006, FY2007 and
FY2008. Estimated allotments for FY2009 are CRS estimates based on factors provided by HHS.

Note: These estimates take into account current program practice where HHS sets aside funds out of the
regular LIHEAP fund appropriation for the territories, training and technical assistance, leveraging incentive
grants, and the Residential Energy Assistance Challenge Option Program (REACH). This has implications
for the total amount of funds going directly to the states. For example, an appropriation of $1.98 billion is
estimated to result in $1.95 billion in regular LIHEAP funds going directly to the states, after the amounts
for these set-asides are subtracted from the total appropriation.
a. The total regular fund appropriation for FY2006 was $2.48 billion, $1.98 billion of which was
appropriated in P.L. 109-149, and $500 million in P.L. 109-204. Initially, P.L. 109-149 appropriated $2.0
billion for regular funds, but the amount was subject to a 1% across-the-board rescission, resulting in a
$1.98 billion appropriation (P.L. 109-148). In addition, both training and technical assistance and the
leveraging incentive and REACH funds were reduced by 1% in column (a).
b. Congress approved a year-long continuing resolution for FY2007 (P.L. 110-5), which was enacted on
February 15, 2007. The law provided that LIHEAP receive the same amount of funds for FY2007 that was
appropriated for FY2006 in P.L. 109-149, as reduced by a 1% rescission (P.L. 109-148).
c. Allotments for FY2008 are slightly greater than for FY2007, despite the similar appropriations levels
due to a 1.747% across-the-board rescission for most Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education programs. See P.L. 110-161, Division G, Section 528. In implementing the rescission for
FY2008, HHS took the amounts that had been allocated for leveraging incentive grants and training and
technical assistance in FY2006 and FY2007 ($27.225 million and $297,000 respectively) and reduced them
by 1.747%. This resulted in approximately $26.75 million for leveraging incentive grants and $292,000
for training and technical assistance in FY2008.
d. For FY2009, the President’s budget would allocate $27.225 million for leveraging incentive and REACH
grants, and $297,000 for training and technical assistance. The estimates at $1.7 billion assume that these
amounts would be set aside out of the regular LIHEAP fund.

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CRS-5
Table 2. LIHEAP Estimated State Allotments
at Hypothetical Block Grant Fund Appropriations Levels
($ in millions)
$1.75 billion
$2.0 billion
$2.25 billion
$2.5 billion
$2.75 billion
$3.0 billion
$4.0 billion
$5.1 billion
State
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
Alabama
14.792
16.939
25.470
36.021
47.488
57.336
76.627
97.847
Alaska
9.442
10.812
11.392
12.673
13.955
15.236
20.363
26.002
Arizona
7.153
8.192
12.318
17.420
22.966
27.814
39.351
50.249
Arkansas
11.287
12.925
19.435
26.709
29.410
32.111
42.914
54.799
California
79.353
90.872
126.272
140.478
154.684
168.889
225.712
288.218
Colorado
27.668
31.684
31.729
31.729
34.791
37.986
50.766
64.825
Connecticut
36.094
41.333
41.392
42.753
47.077
51.400
68.694
87.717
Delaware
4.791
5.486
8.249
10.734
11.819
12.905
17.246
22.022
District of Columbia
5.605
6.419
6.857
7.629
8.400
9.171
12.257
15.652
Florida
23.405
26.802
40.301
56.997
75.140
91.004
134.996
175.001
Georgia
18.505
21.191
31.864
45.065
59.410
71.952
106.735
138.365
Hawaii
1.864
2.134
2.248
2.501
2.754
3.007
4.019
5.132
Idaho
10.792
12.359
13.021
14.486
15.951
17.416
23.275
29.721
Illinois
99.901
114.403
114.565
118.401
130.374
142.347
190.240
242.922
Indiana
45.232
51.798
51.872
54.540
60.055
65.571
87.632
111.899
Iowa
32.057
36.710
36.762
36.762
36.762
36.762
43.050
54.971
Kansas
14.722
16.859
24.526
27.285
30.044
32.803
43.840
55.980
Kentucky
23.539
26.956
37.463
41.677
45.892
50.107
66.965
85.509
Louisiana
15.122
17.317
26.039
36.826
46.325
50.579
67.597
86.316
Maine
23.383
26.777
26.815
26.815
26.815
26.815
28.625
36.551
Maryland
27.636
31.648
47.588
59.764
65.808
71.851
96.026
122.618
Massachusetts
72.199
82.680
82.797
82.797
82.797
90.332
120.724
154.156
Michigan
94.847
108.616
108.770
114.820
126.431
138.042
184.486
235.575
Minnesota
68.332
78.251
78.363
78.363
78.363
78.363
78.363
90.633
Mississippi
12.682
14.522
21.837
27.293
30.053
32.813
43.853
55.996
Missouri
39.904
45.697
55.406
61.639
67.872
74.105
99.038
126.464
Montana
12.659
14.496
15.273
16.991
18.709
20.428
27.300
34.861
Nebraska
15.853
18.155
19.127
21.279
23.431
25.583
34.190
43.658

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CRS-6
$1.75 billion
$2.0 billion
$2.25 billion
$2.5 billion
$2.75 billion
$3.0 billion
$4.0 billion
$5.1 billion
State
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
Nevada
3.360
3.847
5.785
8.182
10.786
13.064
19.379
25.121
New Hampshire
13.666
15.650
16.488
18.343
20.198
22.053
29.472
37.634
New Jersey
67.026
76.756
76.865
76.865
77.141
84.225
112.563
143.734
New Mexico
8.956
10.256
13.934
15.501
17.069
18.636
24.906
31.804
New York
218.850
250.618
250.974
250.974
250.974
252.031
336.827
430.102
North Carolina
32.615
37.350
56.161
78.646
86.599
94.552
126.364
161.357
North Dakota
13.751
15.747
16.591
18.457
20.324
22.190
29.656
37.869
Ohio
88.377
101.207
101.350
111.388
122.652
133.916
178.972
228.534
Oklahoma
13.597
15.570
23.412
33.111
39.479
43.105
57.607
73.560
Oregon
21.444
24.557
24.591
24.879
27.395
29.911
39.974
51.044
Pennsylvania
117.555
134.619
134.810
134.810
140.646
153.563
205.229
262.062
Rhode Island
11.884
13.610
14.339
15.952
17.565
19.178
25.631
32.728
South Carolina
11.748
13.453
20.228
28.608
37.715
42.282
56.508
72.157
South Dakota
11.168
12.790
13.475
14.991
16.507
18.023
24.086
30.756
Tennessee
23.844
27.306
41.058
50.724
55.854
60.983
81.501
104.071
Texas
38.938
44.590
67.047
94.823
125.009
151.400
224.589
291.143
Utah
12.857
14.724
15.513
17.258
19.003
20.748
27.729
35.407
Vermont
10.243
11.730
12.358
13.749
15.139
16.529
22.091
28.208
Virginia
33.664
38.551
57.967
69.555
76.589
83.622
111.757
142.705
Washington
35.272
40.392
40.450
40.450
44.062
48.109
64.295
82.100
West Virginia
15.577
17.839
21.296
23.692
26.087
28.483
38.066
48.608
Wisconsin
61.509
70.438
70.538
70.538
70.538
70.538
83.632
106.792
Wyoming
5.148
5.895
6.211
6.910
7.608
8.307
11.102
14.176
Total
1,719.868
1,969.529
2,219.191
2,468.852
2,718.513
2,968.175
3,966.821
5,065.331
Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS) calculations based on factors provided by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
in May 2007.
Note: For each of these estimates, $27.5 million for leveraging incentive grants, $300,000 for training and technical assistance, and the estimated
grants to the territories have been removed from the total hypothetical grant amounts.
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