RECENT NEWS

Maine's Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) Moves To Waiting List Starting March 28

Mar 12, 2025, 07:39 by Amanda Ouellette
As Of March 7 The Heap Has Helped More Than 29,000 Maine Households Pay For A Portion Of Their Home's Energy Costs

As Of March 7 The Heap Has Helped More Than 29,000 Maine Households Pay For A Portion Of Their Home's Energy Costs

AUGUSTA — With nearly 70 percent of available funds committed, MaineHousing’s Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) is moving to a wait-list process for completed, eligible program applications taken after 5 p.m. on March 28, 2025.


Applications will continue to be received and processed after the deadline but they will not be moved forward for benefit payment until eligible applications already in the pipeline have been paid and funding is available. 

The 2024-2025 HEAP program year will close to all applications on May 30, 2025 or upon the depletion of program funds, whichever comes sooner.

This waiting list is being implemented to ensure eligible households, which have already completed the application process, have the best opportunity to receive a benefit during the current program year as the funding for this program, which first opened to applicants in July of 2024, nears exhaustion.

“As demand for this program has steadily outstripped the available resource, MaineHousing is projecting all available HEAP funding will be dispersed to eligible households by winter’s end,” MaineHousing Director Daniel Brennan said. “We will move to a wait-list system for HEAP starting on March 28. Completed applications received after that deadline will be processed in the order in which they are received and only if there is funding available after all applications received before the deadline have been processed.”

As of March 7, the 2024-2025 HEAP program has provided $17.2 million in benefits, including supplemental heating assistance to more than 29,000 homes in Maine and emergency heating assistance to more than 5,000 homes.
There is approximately $8.8 million remaining in the fund but it is expected those remaining resources will be distributed to eligible households already in the application pipeline.

MaineHousing’s program metrics for HEAP, for the last three heating seasons, can be found on the agency’s public dashboards at www.mainehousing.org. 

More information about applying for HEAP can be found on MaineHousing’s HEAP program page.
The Home Energy Assistance Program, is funded each year with a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and is meant to help low to moderate income households cover a portion of their home’s energy costs.
Households that are facing an immediate heating crisis – those with less than a quarter tank of heating oil, less than 25 percent in a propane tank or less than a seven-day supply of firewood, may still be eligible for emergency assistance through the Energy Crisis Intervention Program (ECIP).
Applicants may also still be eligible for the Low-Income Assistance Program (LIAP) and for fuel supplements available within the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) Program.

Those facing an immediate heating crisis are encouraged to contact their local community action agency for help or to dial 2-1-1 Maine to be connected to resources that are closest to them.

PUBLIC NOTICES & ANNOUCEMENTS

  • Save The Date - Affordable Housing Conference
    Join us for the 2025 Maine Affordable Housing Conference as we discuss the future of affordable housing in Maine. The conference will be held in Bangor at the Cross Insurance Center on Tuesday, September 23, 2025.

  • Public Hearing - Proposed HEAP State Plan
    A public hearing on the proposed State Plan for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) for Federal Fiscal Year 2026 will be held on Tuesday, May 15, 2025 at 9:30 a.m.

  • Public Hearing - Replacement HEAP Rule
    A public hearing on the proposed replacement rule for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) will be held on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 at 9:30 a.m.

  • RFI - HMIS Lead Agency
    MaineHousing is posting the RFI on behalf of the Maine Continuum of Care (MCoC). The MCoC is requesting information from experienced, qualified, and professional entities who can effectively transition into the role of HMIS Lead Agency for the MCoC by January 1, 2026. Deadline for submissions is May 9th, 2025 @ 5pm.

  • RFP - Groundskeeping & Snow Removal Services
    In this Request for Proposals for Groundskeeping & Snow Removal Services MaineHousing is requesting a proposal from an experienced, qualified, and professional company to provide MaineHousing’s year-round groundskeeping & snow removal services. Deadline for submissions is May 14th, 2025 @ 5pm.

  • RFP - Janitorial Services
    In this Request for Proposals for Janitorial Services MaineHousing is requesting a proposal from an experienced, qualified, and professional company to provide MaineHousing’s Janitorial Services. Deadline for submissions is May 14th, 2025 @ 5pm.

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