Trump budget proposes cutting home heating help to nearly 28,000 NH households

The program that helps thousands of low-income Granite Staters heat their homes is still open for this year, but it could be cut altogether from the federal budget.

President Trump’s budget request proposes eliminating the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which is helping 27,837 New Hampshire households.

The administration’s budget blueprint released Thursday says that LIHEAP “is a lower-impact program and is unable to demonstrate strong performance outcomes.”

Celeste Lovett, administrator of the Fuel Assistance Program, which is the state’s arm of the federal LIHEAP, said New Hampshire has received $25,381,123 in federal funds for 2016-2017. Lovett declined to directly address Trump’s proposed budget, noting it is early in the process. But she said the assistance program is vital to vulnerable households in the state.

Read more: http://www.unionleader.com/Trump_budget_proposes_cut_for_home_heating_help