State agency gets $18.6M to help people with heating costs

SANTA FE, N.M. — The New Mexico Health Care Authority now has $18.6 million to help people stay warm and safe in our state this winter.

The Health Care Authority will distribute those funds through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. LIHEAP helps eligible lower-income people and families with their heating and cooling costs. LIHEAP also works with the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority to help people with weatherization costs. That includes weather stripping, windows, furnaces, water heaters, cooking stoves, caulking and insulation.  

“No New Mexican should have to choose between staying warm and putting food on the table,” said Niki Kozlowski, director of Income Support Division. “This funding ensures that many families with limited income won’t have to make that choice.” 

The Health Care Authority administers this federal program. Currently, they provide utility assistance to 30,219 lower-income households across the state.

If you want to see if you’re eligible for LIHEAP, you can use the LIHEAP Eligibility Tool. The tool will asks for your location, income and household size and directs households to contact information for their local agency.

You can apply for LIHEAP online at Yes.NM.gov, call HCA at (800) 283-4465 or visit their local HCA field office.

According to the HCA, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also granted funding to the Jicarilla Apache Tribe, Pueblo of Jemez, Pueblo of Laguna, Pueblo of Nambe and Pueblo of Zuni.