Governor Maura Healey on Wednesday urged the federal government to release long-delayed low-income heating-assistance funds, saying Massachusetts families need help now as colder weather approaches. "Get that money out the door and get that money out the door today," Healey said, adding she had sent a letter to "Secretary Kennedy" asking for an immediate funding release.

The governor said the federal government shutdown interrupted the normal flow of LIHEAP/HEAP funds and that the Trump administration had delayed releasing the recovered funds. Healey told reporters the delay is "unacceptable" and warned of an approaching polar vortex that would increase demand for emergency assistance.

Why it matters: Healey said about 300,000 households across the state face heating-assistance needs. She gave a regional breakdown for affected households — 26,000 on the Cape and Islands, 24,000 in Western Massachusetts, 15,000 on the North Shore and 15,000 in Central Massachusetts — to underscore the scale of need.

State response and community readiness: The state has extended a winter moratorium on utility shutoffs that began Nov. 1 and will continue through April 1, Healey said. She also said the administration will continue to draw on approximately $13,000,000 in remaining federal emergency funds to respond to immediate heating emergencies.

Community partners described urgent demand on the ground. Sharon Scott Chandler, president and CEO of Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD), said ABCD is accepting and processing HEAP applications now and is "prepared to move immediately once the federal dollars reach Massachusetts." Chandler told the briefing ABCD had received about 13,000 HEAP applications so far and that, since Oct. 1, the agency had responded to 768 heating emergencies.

Client testimony: Brenda Sosa, an ABCD client from Dorchester, described relying on home-energy assistance to avoid choosing between medicine, groceries and heat. "It's a difference between surviving the winter and actually feeling safe in your own house," Sosa said.

Outstanding questions: No representative of the federal administration responded during the briefing. Healey and ABCD leaders said local agencies are ready to distribute benefits as soon as federal funds are released.

Next steps: The governor said she hopes for an immediate federal response to fund releases so state and local partners can move from emergency measures to standard benefit processing.