An energy assistance program for low-income residents in Champaign County is bracing for future funding shortfalls after federal budget cuts halted new applications and left staff uncertain about what lies ahead.
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is an annual assistance program that helps residents pay utility bills. This assistance is open to customers of Ameren Gas, Nicor Gas, North Shore Gas and Peoples Gas.
The entire staff overseeing the LIHEAP program was reportedly fired as part of recent federal cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services in April.
Despite assurances that current funding is secure, the Champaign County Regional Planning Committee is bracing for potential shortfalls in the 2026 fiscal year, during which the LIHEAP program would start its program year beginning in October.
“Currently, we feel like our budgets are secured as much as they can be for the upcoming program year,” Dawn Rear, the LIHEAP program manager for the county, said in an interview with CU-CitizenAccess. “But, you know, I can’t foresee the future.”
As of April 30, the program’s funding for this year has been exhausted and no further applications are being accepted, Rear said.
Another planning commission representative explained that the current LIHEAP funds are not in danger because they were already approved the previous year. They said the concern is more focused on the upcoming fiscal year, which could see a decrease in program funding.
Presently, the Trump administration’s proposed budget for 2025 includes substantial cuts to LIHEAP funding. Although Congress appropriated approximately $4.1 billion for the program, about 10% of these funds remain unreleased due to administrative delays.
In Champaign County during the 2023-24 program year, which runs from Oct. 2 to Aug. 15, 8,828 households were assisted. The regional planning commission administers the program, which awarded over $6.25 million in funds to households that year.
This funding provided support to families struggling to pay or keep up with energy costs, including more than 1,300 households that received crisis assistance to reconnect or maintain their utilities.
Additionally, over 100 home visits were conducted to serve homebound elderly individuals and people with disabilities.
Statewide, LIHEAP has been instrumental in supporting low-income Illinois residents. In 2023, the program assisted 341,100 households with a total of $356 million in funds.
In fiscal year 2024, the Illinois Energy Assistance Program, which includes LIHEAP, issued $281.2 million, a 21% decrease from the $356.5 million provided in the previous year.
This reduction led to decreased assistance per household to maintain service levels. According to the 2024 Energy Assistance Act Report, the program “saw a reduction in energy assistance payments as the funding for the Covid crisis wound down,” leading to fewer dollars available per household.
As local and state officials await news on funding allocations, families in Champaign County are left waiting for official confirmations on the program’s budget and application status.