BUTTE COUNTY, CA (MPG) – The Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is facing its most significant threat since its inception over 40 years ago. Federal employee terminations and the program’s proposed elimination in the fiscal year (FY) 2026 federal budget proposal have the potential to leave the Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program service providers across the country stranded. Butte’s Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program Service Provider, the Community Action Agency of Butte County, has taken measures to try to preserve the program that has served as a critical safety net for the area’s most vulnerable populations, especially during extreme weather.

On April 1, the entire federal staff responsible for administering Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program was dismissed as part of a broader reduction at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (US HHS), which included 10,000 employees. Additionally, on May 2, the Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program was eliminated in the president’s budget request for fiscal year 2026.

The budget proposes to end the Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program based on a 15-year-old report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and other undocumented or erroneous information about the program. The budget proposal proposes to instead support “low-income individuals through energy dominance, lower prices, and an America First economic platform.”

“I hope the Trump administration is successful in bringing down energy prices, but it is unrealistic to think that will happen quickly,” said Tim Hawkins, chief executive officer of Butte’s Community Action Agency. “What is certain to happen more quickly is the electricity being shut off to several thousand of our most vulnerable Butte households, including many seniors on fixed incomes. And then they’ll be evicted.” 

In 2024, the Community Action Agency of Butte County assisted 2,434 Butte households with $2.3 million in the Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program utility assistance payments and 105 households with over $1.5 million in energy-efficient and safety upgrades through its Home Weatherization Program. The impact of the Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program goes beyond providing bill payment assistance; it plays a critical role in maintaining low-income households’ health and safety.

For more than 40 years, the federally funded Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program has assisted eligible, low-income households with energy bills, providing vital assistance during both the cold winter and hot summer months. Each year, more than six million low-income households across the country rely on Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program to help keep the lights on.

The Community Action Agency of Butte County asks the general public, elected representative offices, investor-owned utilities, California Community Choice aggregators and community stakeholders to support the Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program. More information is available at LIHEAPHelpsCalifornia.org.

For more information, contact Chief Executive Officer Tim Hawkins by emailing [email protected].

For 58 years, Community Action Agency of Butte County has worked to improve the economic security and well-being of low-income residents of Butte County and the surrounding service area through diverse housing, human service programs and community collaborations.