The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) has launched a new online application for the 2021 Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) season. LIHEAP, which is federally-funded, assists individuals and families with their home heating and medically-necessary cooling bills and provides emergency heating system services and emergency fuel assistance. Program funding is administered through the DCA Division of Housing and Community Resources. An additional $15 million from the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund has been allocated to assist low-income households in paying off utility arrearages.

Individuals can find out if they qualify for assistance for LIHEAP, USF, and other DCA programs by completing DCA’s anonymous online screening tool called DCAid at nj.gov/dca/dcaid.

Individuals may also dial 2-1-1 any day, any time to speak with a call specialist who can provide the locations and hours of local LIHEAP application agencies, explain how home energy assistance programs work, check on the status of a LIHEAP application once it has been submitted, and help find alternative resources if a person doesn’t qualify for LIHEAP and/or USF benefits. NJ 2-1-1 is funded by the United Way of New Jersey in partnership with the State of New Jersey.