Federal Programs Aim To Respond to Extreme Heat

This summer, it seems as if we need to change the words to the old Christmas standard and sing “Baby, it’s HOT outside!” Extremely high temperatures have proven dangerous across most of the country. In response, the Biden administration is promoting efforts through federal grant programs to help states, communities and households better prepare for the high temperatures.

Last year, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) doubled the funding available through its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program (see “FY 2021 BRIC Funding Doubles Last Year’s Amount”). This year, the agency will double it again to $2.3 billion, its highest level ever, to help state and local governments, tribes and territories proactively reduce their vulnerability to heat waves, drought, wildfires, flood, hurricanes and other hazards, boosted by funding through Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Pub. L. 117-58). As part of President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal of delivering 40% of the overall benefits of federal investments in climate and clean energy to disadvantaged communities, FEMA will prioritize communities that have long been marginalized, overburdened and underserved.

In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued $385 million in April through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to help low-income families with their household cooling and heating costs. Last week, HHS issued guidance that will help LIHEAP program recipients expand how they respond to extreme heat and support vulnerable communities by providing for a range of flexible options. The guidance discussed adjustments recipients can make to their LIHEAP programs such as:

• reopening the program to add a cooling assistance component, and/or expanding the crisis assistance component if the recipient still has unobligated American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding available;
• establishing cooling centers, which may include partnering with other public facilities such as local libraries, community centers and government buildings, where people can remain cool during the hottest periods of the day, as well as coordinating how to help move homebound individuals to cooling centers if needed;
• providing and coordinating targeted outreach to identify households at greatest risks to ensure they are in a temperature-safe environment, noting that such interventions might include making sure they have working air conditioning units, ensuring they set the thermostat to a temperature that is safe for their medical needs, helping transport them to a cooling center, etc.; and
• providing education to LIHEAP applicants and beneficiaries about how to keep their homes cool during extreme heat, including safe use of their cooling equipment and setting indoor temperatures sufficient for the make-up of household members, especially those with older adults, young children, and individuals with disabilities. LIHEAP energy burden reduction set-aside funds can be used to support home energy education activities.

The guidance stressed that recipients must be aware that Sept. 30 is the last day they are permitted to obligate any LIHEAP ARP funding that they have carried forward to federal fiscal year 2022. ACF awarded all of the LIHEAP ARP Act funding on May 4, 2021.

Remember, summer doesn't technically end until Sept. 21, so we still have several more weeks of potentially stifling heat left. “Baby don’t go out ‘cause baby its hot outside…”

Join us for our following Thompson Grants events:
Federal Grants Forum For Institutions of Higher Education | Sept. 28-29, 2022 | Virtual Event
Advanced Federal Grants Forum | Oct. 25-27, 2022 | Phoenix, Ariz.