Low-income households

Urges Senate to Act Quickly

January 22, 2008 -- LANSING - Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today applauded the U.S. House of Representatives for passing legislation reauthorizing the HOPE VI program, which rehabilitates or replaces severely distressed public housing projects with mixed-use, mixed-income developments. The proposal includes energy efficiency and green construction requirements that Granholm and five other governors requested in a letter last week to U.S. House leaders.    » read more »

Convinces HUD to Take First Steps to Ensure Affordability of Building

December 20, 2007 -- Following a months-long fight to ensure middle-class housing affordability continues on Staten Island, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that he has convinced the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to apply Section 250 of the National Housing Act to Castleton Park, ensuring the continued affordability of the development. Castleton Park is a 454-unit complex in St. George and one of only two Mitchell-Lama developments on Staten Island.    » read more »

January 22, 2008 -- New York Governor Spitzer today proposed a $400 million Housing Opportunity Fund to improve the availability of affordable and supportive housing statewide.

“To grow and prosper together as One New York, we must ensure that our citizens have access to quality affordable housing,” said Governor Spitzer. “Attracting the growing businesses New York needs to expand economically requires that we directly address the perfect storm of unaffordability that is driving our talented workforce from their homes.”    » read more »

January 18, 2008 -- The program that helps low-income Montanans heat their homes will receive an additional $3.6 million in federal funds, the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) announced Friday.

Jim Nolan, Low Income Energy Assistance Program director for DPHHS, said the new funding will allow the program to offer on average $157 more in assistance to the 19,000 households who utilize the service in Montana.    » read more »

BURLINGTON, January 16 – U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders and Patrick Leahy and Congressman Peter Welch announced the release of $450 million in home heating emergency funds, including $3.9 million for Vermont.

As prices for home heating fuel soar to record highs this winter, Sanders has introduced legislation, cosponsored by Leahy, which would increase funding for the Low Income Home Heating Assistance Program by another $800 million. Welch introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House.    » read more »

January 16, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC- Following a request made by U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) to the President in a December 10th letter, the White House Office of Management and Budget today agreed to release $450 million from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) contingency fund. Pennsylvania will receive approximately $44.3 million of this federal funding to help families heat their homes this winter.    » read more »

$44 million will Assist Low-Income Families with Heating Costs

January 16, 2008 - Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) today announced that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has provided $44.287 million to Pennsylvania to assist the Commonwealth’s low-income families in paying their heating bills. The funding is administered through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) which helps eligible families pay the costs of heating and insulating their homes in the winter and cooling their homes in the summer.    » read more »

January 16, 2008 -- AUGUSTA – Maine will receive an additional $8.8 million from the federal government to support heating assistance for low-income families.

The money represents Maine’s share of $450 million in Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program contingency funding released Wednesday by the federal government. Another $156 million remains in the contingency fund.    » read more »

January 16, 2008 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today thanked the Bush Administration for releasing nearly $13.6 million in additional federal funding for Connecticut’s low-income heating assistance program. However, the Governor said the program is still some $10.7 million short of its projected need – a shortfall the state will cover if necessary.    » read more »

$400 Million Housing Opportunity Fund Draws Praise from Advocates, Business Community

January 13, 2008 -- New York Governor Eliot Spitzer today visited the Rheingold Houses in Bushwick, Brooklyn, to highlight steps his administration is taking to increase affordable and supportive housing throughout New York. Housing advocates, developers, community and business leaders applauded the Governor’s historic $400 million Housing Opportunity Fund, which was announced during the State of the State address last week.    » read more »

January 3, 2008 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell and the governors of seven other northeastern states are calling on President Bush to release emergency contingency funding for home-heating assistance to low-income households nationwide.

“With oil prices hitting an all-time high Wednesday at $100 a barrel and with a near-record cold snap bringing bone chilling single-digit temperatures to Connecticut, we cannot continue waiting for these funds,” Governor Rell said. “Connecticut and the rest of the northeastern states need help now.”    » read more »

December 19, 2007 -- Washington, D.C. -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today on House passage of S. 2499, the Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP Extension Act. The bill, which extends SCHIP through March 31, 2009 and provides additional funding to ensure that no children currently enrolled will be dropped from their coverage, will now be sent to the President for his signature into law:    » read more »

12/19/2007 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Senator John Kerry (D-MA) today joined his colleagues Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Pete Domenici (R-NM), and Charles Schumer (D-NY), in introducing legislation to establish a National Affordable Housing Trust Fund (NHTF), which will address the serious housing needs of millions of households.    » read more »

December 17, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Senators Edward M. Kennedy and John F. Kerry today announced that Massachusetts low-income households will receive $82 million in fuel aid as part of the Omnibus Appropriations bill currently before Congress. The amount is enough to assist 95,000 families throughout the Commonwealth who are feeling the economic effects of increased oil prices.    » read more »

December 14, 2007 -- New York Governor Spitzer today announced that more than 800 affordable housing units will be constructed or renovated across the state through the financing of $43.9 million from two state housing agencies.

The financing was approved by the boards of the New York State Housing Finance Agency (HFA) and the New York State Affordable Housing Corporation (AHC). With today's actions HFA and AHC have approved financing for 6,061 units of affordable housing since January 1, 2007.    » read more »