Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Maryland DHS says expanded eligibility boosted energy-aid enrollment, warns federal LIHEAP cuts would strain services
Summary
Maryland Department of Human Services officials told the Environment and Transportation Committee that 2023 categorical eligibility changes increased energy‑assistance applications and enrollment, but they warned that proposed federal funding cuts to LIHEAP and delayed federal grants put winter heating help at risk.
Webster Yee, chief of staff at the Maryland Department of Human Services, told the Environment and Transportation Committee on Jan. 28 that recent changes to Home Energy Assistance have substantially increased the number of households receiving help but left the system sensitive to federal funding uncertainty. "It is a good chunk of change, and it would directly and very severely impact how we perform services for Marylanders, especially with heating, in the middle of winter," Yee said.
DHS administers the Office of Home Energy Programs (OHEP), which runs the Maryland Energy Assistance Program (MEAP) for heating fuels and the Electric Universal Service Program for electric bill assistance. Yee said MEAP is “almost entirely federally funded,” and that MEAP funding in state fiscal year 2025 totaled…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
