FY 2011 FUNDING

[But No New CSBG Distribution Yet] 

WAP: On Thursday, the Dept. of Energy announced that $174.3 will be allocated to "Regular" FY 2011 WAP, about 3% less for state formula grants than last year.   

No "innovations" grants were funded out of the $30 million the Administration originally requested, a wise choice in our view. The percent states can use for T & TA  will be less than the 10% allowed in 2010. We will receive a state-by-state funding chart to post at www.ncaf.org early next week. 

We believe there would have been far less funding without the intervention of the 25 Senators who joined WAP champion, Energy Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), on a letter to Secretary Chu insisting DOE allocate funds to the program and Senators Snowe and Sanders who made a higher funding request. Please check for your Senator's name on the POSTED LETTER and thank him or her. Tell them the good use you will make of the funding [and please copy NCAF].

LIHEAP: The long awaited state allocations were released yesterday and appear in our short table:

2011 LIHEAP Summary . The funds shown are only the regular formula allocations.  

Emergency contingency funding was cut almost 40% in the final CR; as a result many states, especially those with fuel oil heating, have dramatically less total funding than in FY 2010. Further, four states had to give up funding OCS allocated to them in the past quarter as a result of miscalculations.  No Leveraging or REACh funds were set aside. 

HHS has interpreted the CR eligibility language that 'reverts' to a ceiling of 60% of SMI  to mean that only regular funds awarded since the April 15 carry the restriction. While the mid-year change remains burdensome, we feel this is the best OCS could have offered.  The entire memorandum is reprinted below my signature; It explains the factors and corrections OCS used in the final calculations.  

The more complex HHS table is also available here.

NO additional CSBG funds have been released.  We have expressed to OCS leadership how deeply CAAs are troubled by the unexplained delay.    

Thank you for your hard work under these uncertain conditions.

Sincerely, 

David  

Email May 19

Dear Colleagues:

This letter serves as a notification regarding (1) additional FY 2011 block grant awards; (2) updates in the final tribal allocations that will impact the distributions in four states; (3) no additional FY 2011 emergency contingency funds; (4) clarification on the 60% of state median income requirements; and (5) no funds for leveraging and REACH programs in FY 2011.Block Grant Allocations

Final FY 2011 appropriations action (PL 112-10) provided $4,509,672,000 for the LIHEAP block grant, allocated under the same formula used in FY 2010. An across the board rescission of 0.20% reduced block grant funding to $4,500,652,656.

The attached file shows each grantee's total year funding for FY 2011, the funds previously awarded, and any remaining monies to be awarded to states in the third and fourth quarters. An additional $238 million, the difference between each state's final allocation and the amount it has already received, will be released. States will receive their additional funds in the third quarter in accordance with their quarterly requests for FY 2011. Those states who requested fourth quarter funds will receive them at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

Territories and some tribes/tribal organizations are receiving their remaining block grant funds for the year. Many tribes have already received their entire block grant allocation for FY 2011.

Division of Energy Assistance staff will begin to send LIHEAP coordinators copies of their grant award letters in the next day or so.

Updates in Final Tribal Allocations that Require Adjustments in Block Grant Funds to Four States

As tribal allocation plans have been finalized, it has been determined that small adjustments are needed to previous FY 2011 awards provided to four states. This change does not impact the gross state allocation, only the split between tribal and state grantees. The four states and the adjustment amounts include Alaska ($38,763), Montana ($163,026), New Mexico ($1,611) and North Dakota ($337,248).

Emergency Contingency Funds

PL 112-10 and the previous CRs provided $200 million for LIHEAP contingency funds, the same as the amount previously awarded (on January 24, 2011). All grantees received a share of these funds . No additional emergency contingency funds are available in FY 2011.

State Median Income Eligibility

We want to clarify some of the guidance that was sent to grantees on April 29, 2011 regarding the enactment of the full year FY 2011 Appropriation (PL 112-10), on April 15, 2011, concerning the provision that the income eligibility for LIHEAP is to revert back to the statutory 60% of SMI in FY 2011. We want to adjust one provision from this email with regard to funds awarded prior to April 15:

· The 60% of SMI standard now applies to all new LIHEAP funds to be awarded to grantees by HHS after April 15, 2011. Any prior funds awarded to the Grantee in FY 2011 that remain unobligated and have not been spent for benefits to eligible households may be provided to eligible households up to 75% of SMI.

New LIHEAP funds awarded to states after April 15 must adhere to the new CR provisions with respect to 60% of SMI. However, we believe that the 75% of SMI standard was a valid term and condition of the previous appropriations to April 15, and therefore grantees that established their FY 2011 programs around the higher eligibility levels may use these funds for households that qualify up to 75% of SMI. States should be able to adequately track and document these expenditures.

Leveraging and REACH

There are no additional FY 2011 monies available to fund the leveraging and REACH programs this year. The funds normally set aside for these programs were folded into the overall block grant total.

For REACH-we will not accept applications for this year and plan to resume the normal process to award FY 2012 REACH funds for applications that will be submitted by March 30, 2012. An Action Transmittal will be sent in early FY 2012 that will instruct grantees on the application process for the FY 2012 REACH program.

For leveraging-grantees should not submit applications for FY 2012 leveraging funds based on FY 2011 activities that would have been due by November 30, 2011. Grantees have already submitted FY 2011 applications that were due November 30, 2010, which reflect claimed activities for FY 2010. Therefore, once FY 2012 LIHEAP funds become available (after October 1), we plan to set aside a portion of the funds to provide leveraging awards based on the reports that have been submitted this year. We will resume the normal process for accepting applications under the FY 2013 leveraging program with applications due November 30, 2012. At that time, we will allow grantees the choice to claim the leveraging resources that were conducted in either FY 2011 or FY 2012. An Action Transmittal will be sent in early FY 2012 that will instruct grantees on the application process for the FY 2013 leveraging program.

Yolanda J. Butler, Ph.D. Nick St. AngeloDivision of Energy Assistance

Acting Director Director

Office of Community Services