Press Release: 11/2/2025
Governor Healey Provides Update as President Trump Shuts Off Winter Heating Assistance for Millions
Healey Administration will utilize $13 million remaining from last year’s federal HEAP funding to help provide assistance for residents facing heating emergencies in short term while shutdown continues
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
10/31/2025
MEDIA CONTACT
Karissa Hand, Press Secretary
Phone
Call Karissa Hand, Press Secretary at 617-725-4025
BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration is warning Massachusetts residents that home heating assistance is under threat for thousands of people because of President Trump and Congressional Republicans’ federal government shutdown. The Massachusetts Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) typically helps more than 150,000 households, representing over 300,000 people, every year afford to heat their homes during the winter. However, come November 1, this federal funding will not be available for thousands of Massachusetts families because of the shutdown.
The Healey-Driscoll Administration has $13 million in federal HEAP funding remaining from last year that it will use to support households with a heating emergency in the short term while the shutdown continues. Heating emergencies include not having any heat, receiving a termination notice from a utility, having less than 1/8 of a tank of oil, or having less than three days’ supply of other deliverable fuels. Any family experiencing a heating emergency should immediately contact their Local Administering Agency to apply for heating assistance.
“Millions of people, including seniors and young children, across the country depend on federal heating assistance to help keep their homes warm during the wintertime,” said Governor Maura Healey. “But because President Trump and Congressional Republicans shut down the federal government that they control, this essential funding will be unavailable for thousands of Massachusetts families starting November 1. Our message to people experiencing a heating emergency right now is to continue to apply for assistance – we will do everything we can to keep our families warm. But we need the President and Congressional Republicans to do their job and get the government running again so people can continue to heat their homes.”
“Senior citizens on a fixed income should not be forced to choose between heating their homes in the winter or paying for their groceries and medication. Children and their families should not be left in the cold,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “Donald Trump and the Republicans in Congress need to reopen the government, restore HEAP funding and protect our families.”
“We remain committed to serving households with heating emergencies as wintertime approaches,” said Ed Augustus, Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities. “But we urge Congress and the President to quickly act to fund the federal government so we can continue to serve Massachusetts residents who struggle with heating costs.”
During the 2024-2025 heating season, the HEAP program provided over 159,000 Massachusetts households with financial assistance to heat their homes through the winter. The majority of households (54 percent) served by HEAP were seniors on a fixed income and approximately 11 percent of the households assisted by HEAP have children under 6.
The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities is working with local administering agencies to support households on an emergency, case-by-case basis using limited federal carryover funds until federal funds are approved by Congress and the President.
Congress annually appropriates HEAP funding to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services which allocates a portion of these funds to the state of Massachusetts (through HLC). Last season, Massachusetts was allotted $144 million by the federal government for HEAP. HLC allocates HEAP funds to Local Administering Agencies who process applications and make payments to utility companies or deliverable fuel companies for client heating costs.
More information about HEAP is available here.