Latest news with #LIHEAP
Time Magazine
5 days ago
- Climate
- Time Magazine
We Are All Now First Responders to Extreme Heat
This week, blistering temperatures could put more than 220 million Americans at risk. Extreme heat is the deadliest type of weather disaster in the United States—and one of the most underestimated. In my decades of climate resilience work in towns and neighborhoods, I've seen firsthand the pain, loss, and economic costs of extreme heat. Heat strains power grids, damages infrastructure, and worsens air pollution. It puts outdoor and commuting workers at risk, flares chronic health conditions, profoundly endangers mother and baby during pregnancy, and disproportionately harms children, older adults, and low-income families. Yet as communities from the Eastern Seaboard to the Midwest are engulfed in record-breaking temperatures, the U.S. is now even more dangerously unprepared. The safety net we count on in moments of climate crisis isn't just fraying—it's unraveling. As a result, you are (or will soon be) forced to become your own first responder. In its drive to slash the size and scope of the federal government, the Trump administration has weakened the very agencies and systems we rely on to prepare for and respond to disasters–including extreme heat. Cuts to NOAA's forecasting programs weaken our ability to anticipate and plan for dangerously high temperatures while reduced support for programs like the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and slashed funding for public health efforts—like the CDC's Climate and Health Program—leave states and cities without tools to protect residents before and during heat waves. Read More: Losing NOAA's Natural Disaster Data Will Make Storms More Devastating for the Poor While these cuts may seem abstract or bureaucratic, their impact is personal. If you've ever checked the weather on your phone, you've depended on NOAA. These are the scientists who issue early warnings that save lives. When funding is slashed, those alerts may come too late—or not at all. Even before summer officially began, Americans were grappling with the impacts—from International Falls, Minnesota, known as the 'icebox of the nation,' where temperatures soared into the 90s in early May, to the Rio Grande Valley, which endured a mid-May heatwave that made it hotter than Death Valley. Alaska—yes, Alaska—issued its first ever heat warning this week. Read More: The Most Efficient Way to Run Your AC During a Heat Wave While the administration claims it is shifting responsibility to the states, this blatantly ignores the reality that states lack the funding and infrastructure to manage on their own. Federal grants have been essential to states' preparedness. Even cities widely regarded as leaders in disaster preparedness are strained. Miami-Dade County was forced to eliminate both its Chief Resilience Officer and Chief Heat Officer roles due to budget constraints, while Los Angeles' proposed budget would eliminate its entire climate resilience office. I work with under-served communities around the world, from the United States to India, and Mexico to Greece. I've sat in community centers where mothers have shared strategies on how to stay safe working outdoors while still earning enough to feed their families. I've walked through Sierra Leone outdoor markets and seen the benefit of simple shade structures to prevent heat stroke. These efforts are survival. When governments can't (or won't) help us, we—our communities—become the first line of defense. As a first responder, here's what you can do: Know What's Coming It's important to understand your local climate threats. Arm yourself with information on the early signs of heat illness: dizziness, headache, nausea, rapid heartbeat, and confusion. Heatstroke is a medical emergency that requires immediate action. Awareness saves lives and sparks action. Plan Like It's Personal Heat doesn't just affect 'other people'—healthy, young individuals are now showing up in emergency rooms. Having a plan can save lives. That means staying hydrated, resting in shade or air-conditioned spaces, and scheduling strenuous outdoor activities early in the day. If you don't have air conditioning, know where the nearest cooling center is and how to keep your home cooler—by closing blinds during the day and using fans or cross-ventilation at night, when staying cool is essential for the body to rest and recover. Build a Check-In Culture Loneliness can be lethal during a heatwave. Programs like Philadelphia's Heat Response Program and Los Angeles' senior outreach initiative show how check-ins save lives. But you don't need a government job to do this. Create a phone tree or a group chat. Encourage people to 'adopt a neighbor' during heat alerts. One call can make all the difference. Turn Public Spaces into Lifelines When government systems falter, schools, libraries, religious institutions, and shaded parks can become heat-safe hubs. I've helped cities pilot community cooling spaces that serve as a refuge for people without access to air conditioning and seen how, when designed thoughtfully, cooling centers are not just places to retreat—they are places to reconnect, reorganize, and rebuild. While your new job as a first responder is critical, it's not yours to keep — that's the government's. Until then, however, and while the safety net is burning, it's on us to help put out the flames.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Cooling assistance accepting appointments starting Sunday
CHATHAM COUNTY, Ga. (WSAV) — Beginning Sunday at 7 p.m., residents can begin making appointments for the cooling assistance program administered by the Economic Opportunity Authority (EOA). Residents of Chatham County can make appointments by calling 912-721-7910. There are a limited number of appointments available, and clients must meet income guidelines and supply verifiable information. To qualify, a family's annual income must be in accordance with the fiscal year 2025 Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) eligibility guidelines. Applicants will need to provide a current electrical bill, social security card for each member of the household, a picture ID and proof of income over the last 30 days for each adult. Applicants will be required to come to the EOA Cuyler building at 618 West Anderson Street for their appointments. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
News24
11-06-2025
- Politics
- News24
Looming cuts to energy aid fuel fear of 'deadly' summer in US
US President Donald Trump is seeking to end a decades-old energy assistance programme used by six million people, amid the second-warmest global temperatures on record and US electricity prices that are expected to rise more than ever in coming months. Experts warn the confluence, worsened by climate change that makes summer heat more intense and longer-lasting, could mean a deadly season for poor communities. The staff at the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance programme, known as LIHEAP, was fired in April amid mass layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The following month, Trump's budget proposal recommended eliminating LIHEAP altogether, calling it "unnecessary because States have policies preventing utility disconnection for low-income households." Residents say they are not sure how they will keep cool. "My air conditioning is my number one priority," said Venus Little, who lives in a low-income apartment complex in Washington, DC, where the windows open only a crack. Little, 58, has been using LIHEAP for years, ever since the single mother of three had her electricity cut off. Now president of her tenants' association, she worries about the effects of LIHEAP cuts at the 284-unit complex, where renters already struggle with "sky-high" utility rates. "That programme has made a lot of difference in a lot of tenants' lives," she said. "I can't even find the words. It's cold-hearted." The programme's future rests with federal lawmakers as they seek to accommodate Trump's expansive effort to shrink the government. HHS did not respond to a request for comment. "This isn't just cutting LIHEAP. You're cutting the financial infrastructure of low-income families," said Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA). "It's the elderly, the disabled, families with young children – these are very vulnerable families." Utility rates have been rising faster than inflation, he said, with one in six US households behind on utility bills and collectively owing some $21 billion – the highest number Wolfe and his colleagues have tracked. Prices for cooling could hit record highs in coming months, NEADA said in an outlook co-published in May, warning that for poor households, the summer could be "deadly". Heat does kill. In New York, an estimated 350 residents die each year due to extreme heat, according to the city's 2024 Heat-Related Mortality Report. Lack of access to air conditioning at home is the most significant risk factor, it said. People in 'danger' When LIHEAP was created in the 1980s, it was intended primarily to help with heating during cold months but since then, summers have become more blistering. Heat waves in 2023 led to more than 2,300 deaths nationwide, a 117% increase since 1999, according to a study last year of federal data. The share of low-income families using central air conditioning rose from 8.5% in 1979 to more than half in 2020, according to federal statistics, with cooling expenditures growing almost six-fold from 1985 to 2022. Last year LIHEAP was funded at about $4 billion, and local officials say there is no way states or cities could replace the federal money even as they play larger roles in funding energy efficiency and other efforts to bring down electricity prices. "We need their partnership – it's devastating," said Lorig Charkoudian, a state delegate in the Maryland General Assembly. "People are in danger this summer," she said. "If people can't keep their electricity running to get air conditioning, there will be people who will end up in the hospital, complicating their medication situation at a much higher financial cost to society than the cost of LIHEAP." Although Washington and 17 states ban utilities from shutting off electricity during summer months, 33 states have no such protections, according to the NEADA. In Washington, lawmakers also are seeking to ban evictions during heat waves, similar to rules under freezing temperatures. Texas city mandates air conditioning In Austin, Texas, residents have a new rule on their side this summer: a mandate that all residences have working air conditioning. One of a rising number of cities to take such a step, Austin has seen record heat waves in recent years and a rise in heat-related health cases. Tenants pressured landlords to take action on cooling, said Vanessa Fuentes, Austin mayor pro tem and a city council member. Fuentes spearheaded the new law, which she said empowers renters "to report to the city and file a complaint that air conditioning has not been installed or properly updated" when temperatures rise above 29 degrees Celsius). Some landlords have expressed concern over the expense of upgrading older buildings and say existing laws sufficed. Fuentes said Austin has a publicly owned utility and is able to provide assistance not dependent on LIHEAP, but the surrounding county works with the federal programme and is home to many of the area's lowest-income families. Federal cuts "will make it harder for them to keep the lights on and stay safe in their homes," Fuentes said.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bipartisan lawmakers seek to reverse Trump's staff cuts at program that helps Americans afford heat, air conditioning
A bipartisan set of lawmakers is introducing a bill that seeks to reverse the Trump administration's staffing cuts at a program that helps Americans afford heat and air conditioning. Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) are introducing legislation aimed at undoing staff cuts at the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The Trump administration fired every staffer who works on the program as part of larger staff cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and has proposed zeroing out LIHEAP's budget. The Lawler-Gottheimer bill, which was first shared with The Hill, requires HHS to have at least 20 people working on the program, 60 percent of whom cannot be contractors. In an emergency, 30 people would have to be employed as part of the program. It's not entirely clear whether the legislation could actually pass or whether it might be attached to any larger bills. However, it represents a signal that the Trump administration's move to fire the LIHEAP staffers is generating at least some Republican pushback. 'Nearly 6 million families nationwide — and 240,000 in Jersey — rely on LIHEAP to keep the heat on in the winter and the AC running in the summer,' Gottheimer said in a written statement. 'President Trump is hell-bent on dismantling this critical program, firing its entire staff back in April and proposing to eliminate LIHEAP completely in his budget to Congress. My new bipartisan bill will stop these reckless cuts and ensure that no family is left in the cold or heat without help.' 'I'm proud to co-lead this bipartisan bill to fix LIHEAP's staffing crisis, ensuring Hudson Valley families get the energy assistance they need to stay warm this winter,' Lawler said in a written statement. 'With minimum staffing requirements and smart use of contractors, we're tackling inefficiency and protecting our most vulnerable who depend on it.' Asked about the cuts of the program during a recent congressional hearing, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. argued that cost savings from President Trump's energy policies would make it redundant. 'President Trump's rationale and OMB's rationale is that President Trump's energy policies are going to lower the cost of energy so that everybody will get lower costs…and in that case this program would simply be another subsidy to the fossil fuel industry,' he said, referring to the Office of Management and Budget. 'If that doesn't happen and Congress chooses to appropriate the money, I, of course, will spend it,' he added. The introduction of the legislation also comes as Gottheimer is running for governor of New Jersey in a crowded Democratic field. Both lawmakers currently represent swing districts. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
09-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Bipartisan lawmakers seek to reverse Trump's staff cuts at program that helps Americans afford heat, air conditioning
A bipartisan set of lawmakers is introducing a bill that seeks to reverse the Trump administration's staffing cuts at a program that helps Americans afford heat and air conditioning. Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) are introducing legislation aimed at undoing staff cuts at the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The Trump administration fired every staffer who works on the program as part of larger staff cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and has proposed zeroing out LIHEAP's budget. The Lawler-Gottheimer bill, which was first shared with The Hill, requires HHS to have at least 20 people working on the program, 60 percent of whom cannot be contractors. In an emergency, 30 people would have to be employed as part of the program. It's not entirely clear whether the legislation could actually pass or whether it might be attached to any larger bills. However, it represents a signal that the Trump administration's move to fire the LIHEAP staffers is generating at least some Republican pushback. 'Nearly 6 million families nationwide — and 240,000 in Jersey — rely on LIHEAP to keep the heat on in the winter and the AC running in the summer,' Gottheimer said in a written statement. 'President Trump is hell-bent on dismantling this critical program, firing its entire staff back in April and proposing to eliminate LIHEAP completely in his budget to Congress. My new bipartisan bill will stop these reckless cuts and ensure that no family is left in the cold or heat without help.' 'I'm proud to co-lead this bipartisan bill to fix LIHEAP's staffing crisis, ensuring Hudson Valley families get the energy assistance they need to stay warm this winter,' Lawler said in a written statement. 'With minimum staffing requirements and smart use of contractors, we're tackling inefficiency and protecting our most vulnerable who depend on it.' Asked about the cuts of the program during a recent congressional hearing, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. argued that cost savings from President Trump's energy policies would make it redundant. 'President Trump's rationale and OMB's rationale is that President Trump's energy policies are going to lower the cost of energy so that everybody will get lower costs…and in that case this program would simply be another subsidy to the fossil fuel industry,' he said, referring to the Office of Management and Budget. 'If that doesn't happen and Congress chooses to appropriate the money, I, of course, will spend it,' he added. The introduction of the legislation also comes as Gottheimer is running for governor of New Jersey in a crowded Democratic field. Both lawmakers currently represent swing districts.
