Speaking at the State Capitol in Albany on Nov. 17, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Congressman Paul Tonko of New York’s 20th Congressional District, and others demanded that the Trump Administration release $400 million in federal funds for the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) in New York. An estimated 1.5 million New York residents rely on HEAP to help heat their homes during the winter. The Trump Administration has been withholding the HEAP money.
“It’s amazing they couldn’t come up with that $400 million (for HEAP), but $300 million for a gilded ballroom in the White House, that shows what their priorities are,” Hochul said. “It is shocking. It is shocking. And, so, it’s cruel.”
At the County Office building in White Plains, Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins joined the call for action by the Trump administration.
“No family should have to choose between paying their energy bills and putting food on the table and this delay is more than a bureaucratic setback; it’s a real threat to the safety and well-being of our most vulnerable residents including children, seniors and people with disabilities,” Jenkins said. “This is something that’s critically important. We’re urging the Trump administration to immediately release the $400 million. It’s beyond time to release these funds and honor the commitment to the people that need this assistance.”
Hochul said that the state cannot accept applications for HEAP, which were supposed to begin Nov. 24, until the federal funding is in place. In the meantime, she urged all eligible households to sign up for the state programs that can provide energy assistance. These include the New York Energy Assistance Program (EAP), which provides monthly discounts on bills.
EAP provides up to $500 in annual discounts on energy bills. The state’s EAP already serves approximately one million households statewide, but state officials estimate that approximately 1.5 million more households are eligible to receive a discount. Eligibility for EAP is based on household income. For example, a family of four is eligible to enroll in EAP if they make up to $80,160 per year in household income. A family of five is eligible if they make up to $92,988 per year in household income.
“Donald Trump promised on day one to lower utility bills,” Hochul said. “He promised a lot of things, but that’s one stuck in mind. ‘Prices are going to come down, utility bills are going to be lower.’ Instead, they’re rising. And this delay in starting a program that’s supposed to help people with those utility bills is just cruel.”
Hochul noted that HEAP was put in place by former Republican President Ronald Reagan during first year in office.
“It’s been supported by Democrat and Republican administrations since the very beginning,” Hochul said. “They’ve long recognized the humanity of helping people be warm during cold months, especially in places like New York, which gets very cold. So 44 years later, we find ourselves with an administration just dead set on hurting people, and our own Republican delegation here in New York, not exactly profiles and courage because they have a voice, they have a vote, and they refuse to use it to stand up for cold New Yorkers.”
