Mainers don’t have answers about whether they’ll lose access to heating assistance following a Tuesday freeze on all federal grant and loan programs.
A presidential order pausing the pre-authorized aid in order for the Trump administration to review what it funds was scheduled to go into effect at 5 p.m. Eastern time Tuesday. But state housing authorities were already unable to access some funds earlier that day.
It’s not clear yet how the freeze will affect the many Maine programs that rely on billions in federal money to operate, such as heating aid that thousands of households are receiving this winter. But local groups said Tuesday they were preparing for cuts to social services residents rely on, and Maine’s congressional delegation protested the freeze.
“We do not have any clarity yet,” Renae Muscatell, community relations manager for Penquis CAP, said of the freeze’s impacts on Tuesday. Community Action Partners are regional agencies that distribute federal funding through local programs. The agency is still taking applications for heating assistance, but doesn’t know how or if the funding will be affected, Muscatell said.
MaineHousing, the state agency that receives the funds, was able to access its funding system for this week, director Dan Brennan said. But it’s not clear if it will actually get the money or have access in the future. Brennan said that MaineHousing was not able to access Section 8 funding as of Tuesday afternoon.
“It’s pretty close to a grave concern,” he said, noting the loss of heating assistance would have an immediate impact. “People rely on it. We got no notice that this was going to happen.”
The White House has said payments to individuals, including SNAP food benefit programs, will not be affected, Reuters reported Tuesday.
Brennan and others are hoping heating assistance will also be excluded from the freeze. A spokesperson for U.S. Sen. Susan Collins said late Tuesday afternoon that her office is waiting for confirmation, but believes it shouldn’t be affected.
The Low Income Heating Assistance Program in particular reaches more than 50,000 households in the state, MaineHousing said in August. Last fall, Maine was awarded more than $37.5 million in federal funds for heating assistance out of a $3.7 billion nationwide program.
Members of Maine’s congressional delegation have fought for more funding for the state in recent winters as requests for help rise and heating oil prices have spiked.
Collins and U.S. Sen. Angus King called the overall freeze much too broad and unconstitutional, respectively, in Tuesday statements. U.S. Reps. Jared Golden and Chellie Pingree, both Democrats, also railed against the freeze and said it would harm critical programs Mainers rely on.
Golden wrote on his official Facebook page that his office has fielded calls “all day” from Mainers concerned about the freeze’s effect on critical programs including LIHEAP and SNAP.
“The vagueness of the president’s order means there are more questions than answers,” he said.
Members of the delegation were not immediately available for further comment Tuesday afternoon.
Representatives of multiple community action agencies were also unavailable for further comment, but Waldo County Community Action Partners’ programs may be affected by the overall freeze, its president and CEO Donna Kelley wrote in a public statement on Tuesday.
The agency’s services reach thousands of people in Waldo County, Kelley said. Waldo CAP will focus on avoiding interruptions to its key programs such as Head Start. The state’s community action programs are working with government leaders to fully understand the freeze, keep services going without interruption and make backup plans, according to the statement.
“We want to reassure our community that our commitment to the people we serve remains strong,” Kelley said.
