LIHEAP Clearinghouse Releases Three Publications

December 15, 2017 – The LIHEAP Clearinghouse has released three publications since December 1. The three publications provide a detailed overview of LIHEAP and address issues that have been identified within LIHEAP. The reports are: LIHEAP Training, Crisis Following the Lifting of Winter Moratorium, and the LIHEAP Primer.

December LIHEAP Clearinghouse publications:

1) LIHEAP Training: Examining Common Practices and Unique Approaches - This issue brief discusses details of training opportunities for grantees, sub-grantees, and vendors as outlined in section 15 of the state LIHEAP plan. LIHEAP training components covered in this issue brief include common practices, program integrity, statistics of types of training offered, training and technical assistance and training local service providers. This brief also provides additional resources for LIHEAP training. Some of these resources include examples of training overviews, service delivery plans, among other things, from states like Florida, Maine, Hawaii and Minnesota.

2) Crisis Following the Lifting of Winter Moratorium – This issue brief addresses the crisis situations that sometimes follow the lift of a winter moratorium protection. Sometimes customers fall behind on their bills and are protected from shutoffs by a seasonal or temperature-based moratorium period. When this protection is lifted and the utility company issues a shut off notice, a crisis situation has emerged—especially when the household has a vulnerable member in it. This brief discusses the contexts that surrounds these crisis situations.

3) LIHEAP Primer: What You Need to Know – This LIHEAP primer provides a general overview of LIHEAP. Discussed here are the energy programs that preceded LIHEAP and basic requirements established by LIHEAP statute and regulations. It also discusses how those requirement set the framework for program administration and delivery. The primer covers the following topics, among others: 1) How LIHEAP began 2) How are LIHEAP funds used 3) Who is eligible for LIHEAP 4) LIHEAP leveraging-incentive program 5) Performance Measurement and Management.

Other LIHEAP Clearinghouse reports and issue briefs published in 2017 include: Energy Choice and Low-Income Households, Domestic Issues Creating Hardships for Low-Income Utility Customers and LIHEAP Partnerships with Community Based Organizations.

The LIHEAP Clearinghouse website serves as a hub for information that exists among LIHEAP grantees in the operation of their programs. To read more publications by the LIHEAP Clearinghouse, visit the website here.