Groups promote funding for federal assistance programs

Groups met in Columbia Wednesday to promote funding for two federal assistance programs; LIHEAP, or “Low Income Home Energy and Weatherization Assistance,” and Clean Energy Grants (which include Weatherization Assistance Programs).

The meeting comes after President Donald Trump proposed budget cuts earlier this year, which would impact those programs. In fact, the budget for the Department of Health and Human Services would completely eliminate funding for LIHEAP. And the Department of Energy’s budget has suggested zeroing out funding for Clean Energy Grants.

The purpose of Wednesday’s meeting was to bring affected people and organizations together, to show the need for federal funding of the programs. Currently, the state of Missouri does not fund either program.

Andy Heaslet is a volunteer with Missouri Sierra Club. He says “LIHEAP in particular supports around 6,000 people here in the Columbia area, and without that there is no funding coming from the state at this time, so a lot of people would literally be left out in the cold.”

David Robinson uses the LIHEAP program, and he says “If I didn’t have the assistance that I’m getting and already have gotten, I probably would not have my rental assistance, which means I may be homeless.”