Healy urges swift release of federal heating funds as thousands face cold; state extends shutoff moratorium

Governor Healy urged the federal government to release federal heating assistance funds immediately, saying the delay leaves tens of thousands of Massachusetts families at risk this winter and prompting the state to use limited emergency funds and regulatory tools while it waits for federal allocations.

Healy said in prepared remarks that an estimated 26,000 families on the Cape and Islands, 24,000 in Western Massachusetts, 15,000 on the North Shore and 15,000 in Central Massachusetts are affected. “We made sure that we got those SNAP benefits processed and out the door as quickly as possible,” he said, adding that he had sent a letter to “Secretary Kennedy” seeking a rapid funding response. In a direct rebuke to the federal executive branch, he said: “I’m asking now for the president of The United States to do his **** job and figure out a way to get heating assistance out to people who need it.”

Why it matters: Healy framed the delay as an urgent public-health and safety issue: low-income households in Massachusetts face some of the highest energy costs in the nation, he said, and interrupted heating assistance forces people into unsafe coping strategies. “If I keep the thermostat low to save money, I could get sick,” said Brenda Sosa, a Dorchester renter who testified about relying on the Home Energy Assistance Program this year.

State actions and local readiness: Healy announced the extension of the winter moratorium on utility shutoffs through April 1; he said the moratorium began Nov. 1 and that the Department of Public Utilities ordered and extended it. He also said the state will continue to draw on roughly $13,000,000 in available federal emergency funds to respond to urgent heating crises while awaiting LIHEAP dollars.

Community agencies said they are prepared to distribute assistance once funds arrive. Sharon Scott Chandler, president and CEO of ABCD, said the agency serves about 20,000 residents across Greater Boston and Mystic Valley and has received roughly 13,000 HEAP applications so far. “We are accepting and processing HEAP applications today, and we are prepared to move immediately once the federal dollars reach Massachusetts,” Chandler said. She added that ABCD had responded to 768 emergency heating calls since Oct. 1 thanks to recent state emergency funding.

Individual account: Brenda Sosa, who identified herself as a Dorchester renter living with a disability, said the assistance “means I can stay warm without having to choose between medicine, groceries, and heating my home.” She said delayed funding made her “afraid to turn the thermostat on.”

Next steps: Healy said he has asked federal officials for prompt action and that the state will continue to use available emergency funds and regulatory tools while pressing for LIHEAP releases. He emphasized that community agencies are ready to distribute aid once federal dollars arrive.

Sources and limits: The article relies on on-the-record remarks captured at the event. Quantities cited — households by region, remaining federal emergency funds ($13,000,000), ABCD’s 13,000 HEAP applications and 768 emergency responses since Oct. 1 — were stated during the event; when legislative timing or federal release schedules were discussed, no firm federal release date was given.