LIHEAP funds available to help pay for heating bills

SANTA FE – The New Mexico Health Care Authority (HCA) is pleased to announce they have received $18.6 million of Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds to help New Mexicans stay warm and safe during this winter season.

“No New Mexican should have to choose between staying warm and putting food on the table,” said Niki Kozlowski, director of Income Support Division. “This funding ensures that many families with limited income won’t have to make that choice.”

LIHEAP is a federal program administered by the Health Care Authority and currently provides utility assistance to 30,219 lower-income households across the state. New Mexicans are encouraged to apply for LIHEAP online at Yes.NM.gov, call HCA at (800) 283-4465 or visit their local HCA field office.

In addition to the HCA receiving LIHEAP funds, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services granted funding to the Jicarilla Apache Tribe, Pueblo of Jemez, Pueblo of Laguna, Pueblo of Nambe, and Pueblo of Zuni.

The LIHEAP program assists eligible lower-income individuals and families with their heating and cooling costs. The program also contracts with the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority to assist individuals with weatherization costs to include weather stripping, windows, furnaces, water heaters, cooking stoves, caulking and insulation.

People can use the LIHEAP Eligibility Tool, a user-friendly resource that allows households to quickly identify if they may be eligible for the program. Households can see if they may qualify by inputting basic information such as location, income, and household size. The tool also directs households to the contact information for their local agency.

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We talk, interpret and smile in all languages.  We provide written information to our customers in both English and Spanish and interpretation services are available in 58 languages through our provider, CTS Language Link. For our hearing, and speech impaired customers, we utilize Relay New Mexico, a free 24-hour service that ensures equal communication access via the telephone to individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind or speech disabled.

 

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