The Maine State Housing Authority (MSHA) has been designated by the Legislature to administer the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The program provides assistance to low income households for their energy bills. The federal Department of Health and Human Services oversees LIHEAP. In Maine, the funds are used primarily to help pay winter home heating bills for those who qualify. MSHA contracts with Maine’s Community Action Agencies to administer the program on the local level.
The program has three components: Fuel Assistance, Emergency Crisis Intervention, and Weatherization.
Provide funds to help pay heating costs for low/very low income Maine residents.
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (commonly called LIHEAP or HEAP) provides money to low income homeowners and renters to help pay heating costs. The funds are distributed throughout Maine by 11 Community Action Programs, in most cases directly to the fuel vendors. The program is not intended to pay for all heating costs, but to assist in paying the heating bills. The average benefit in Maine in 2003-2004 was about $441, and the program served about 47,000 households.
LIHEAP is targeted to low and very low income Maine homeowners and renters. Persons interested in applying for LIHEAP assistance should apply at the nearest Community Action Program office.
Community Action Program Agency Telephone #
Aroostook County Action Program, Presque Isle | 764-3721 |
Coastal Economic Development Corp., Bath | 442-7963 |
Community Concepts, Inc., South Paris | 743-7716 |
Kennebec Valley Community Action Program, Waterville | 873-2122 |
Coastal Community Action Program, Rockland | 596-0361 |
Penquis Community Action Program, Bangor | 973-3500 |
Peoples Regional Opportunity Program, Portland | 874-1140 |
Waldo County Committee for Social Action, Belfast | 338-6809 |
Washington-Hancock Community Agency, Ellsworth | 546-7544 |
Western Maine Community Action, Inc., East Wilton | 645-3764 |
York County Community Action Corp., Sanford | 324-5762 |
|
||||||||||||
|
Must be |
|||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
|
75% |
125% |
150% |
170% |
||||||||
FAMILY |
1 |
3 |
12 |
1 |
3 |
12 |
1 |
3 |
12 |
1 |
3 |
12 |
1 |
598 |
1,794 |
7,178 |
997 |
2,991 |
11,963 |
1,196 |
3,589 |
14,355 |
1,356 |
4,067 |
16,269 |
2 |
802 |
2,406 |
9,623 |
1,336 |
4,009 |
16,038 |
1,604 |
4,811 |
19,245 |
1,818 |
5,453 |
21,811 |
3 |
1,006 |
3,017 |
12,068 |
1,676 |
5,028 |
20,113 |
2,011 |
6,034 |
24,135 |
2,279 |
6,838 |
27,353 |
4 |
1,209 |
3,628 |
14,513 |
2,016 |
6,047 |
24,188 |
2,419 |
7,256 |
29,025 |
2,741 |
8,224 |
32,895 |
5 |
1,413 |
4,239 |
16,958 |
2,355 |
7,066 |
28,263 |
2,826 |
8,479 |
33,915 |
3,203 |
9,609 |
38,437 |
6 |
1,617 |
4,851 |
19,403 |
2,695 |
8,084 |
32,338 |
3,234 |
9,701 |
38,805 |
3,665 |
10,995 |
43,979 |
7 |
1,821 |
5,462 |
21,848 |
3,034 |
9,103 |
36,413 |
3,641 |
10,924 |
43,695 |
4,127 |
12,380 |
49,521 |
8 |
2,024 |
6,073 |
24,293 |
3,374 |
10,122 |
40,488 |
4,049 |
12,146 |
48,585 |
4,589 |
13,766 |
55,063 |
|
||||||||||||
|
204 |
611 |
2,445 |
340 |
1,019 |
4,075 |
408 |
1,223 |
4,890 |
462 |
1,386 |
5,542 |
ALL NUMBERS
ARE DERIVATIVES OF 100% OF POVERTY FOR TWELVE (12) MONTHS. For households with 8 or more
persons, HHS 100% Poverty level adds $3,260 for each additional
member. |