Governor Peter Shumlin and the Vermont Emergency Board have approved an additional $2.1 million in funding to help low-income residents heat their homes this winter.
The 2013 Legislature approved $6 million for the program as part of the annual appropriations bill, with the expectation that additional funds might be necessary. The total amount for this year's LIHEAP will be approximately $25.7 million. Funds will be distributed in the first half of November.
No state funds were contributed to LIHEAP prior to federal fiscal year 2005. In recent years, federal funds to Vermont have steadily declined from a high of $38.6 million in 2009 to an expected $17 million for this winter.
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