Dear [firstname],

I hope this message finds you and your family well as we enter the winter months – some areas of our community even saw their first snowflakes this week! I’m reaching out today to invite you to my next telephone town hall, which will focus on housing and heating resources. Join me on December 21 at 5 p.m. by dialing (855) 731-4616.  

We will be joined by Dolores Colligan, Director of the Chester County Department of Community Development, and Ashley Chambers, Senior Vice President of Community Impact for the United Way of Berks County. Together, we will answer your questions about the housing resources available to our Chester and Berks County communities. Additionally, I know heating costs continue to be a concern for some Pennsylvanians. That’s why I was glad to see PECO, among other electric distribution companies, announced that energy costs are down this year! We will also share how the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and my efforts are helping at-risk families stay warm during these cold, winter months 

Please check out further information and resources below, and I hope to speak with you on December 21. RSVP here. 

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, fuel costs were low because of higher supply than demand. Once we started to move about our communities more, supply and demand reversed, causing fuel costs to jump. Higher fuel costs meant it was more expensive for power plants to provide electricity. That’s why so many of us experienced higher energy costs last year.  

Since fuel costs have stabilized and decreased in the past year, energy costs are following suit! Last week, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) announced the latest energy supply prices – the numbers were welcome news! PECO’s cost per kWh decreased from 9.672 cents to 8.917 cents. This 7.8% cost reduction will help thousands of families across our Commonwealth. I’m proud to have supported federal legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act that helped lower costs by shoring up our supply chains and increasing our domestic energy production.   

The Philadelphia Inquirer recently explained how Pennsylvanians can apply for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, the federal assistance program for winter heating in homes. 

While the winter months often bring the joys of the holidays and spending time with family, this time of year also brings challenges, such as rising heating costs. I know this can stretch families’ household budgets, so I’ve been a passionate advocate for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program or LIHEAP.  

What is LIHEAP? It is a federal program that can help people save money on their heating bills by providing cash grants in the form of a one-time payment sent to the utility company/fuel provider and credited directly to their bill. The program also offers crisis grants to households in immediate danger of being without heat. 

How can you apply to LIHEAP? There are two ways: 

• Online: Apply for benefits online using COMPASS, the online tool for Pennsylvanians to apply for health and human service programs and manage benefit information. 

• On paper: Download a paper application, print it, fill it out, and return it to your local county assistance office.  

Last winter, more than 312,000 Pennsylvania households benefited from this program, which is why I have advocated for LIHEAP funding throughout my time in Congress. Today, on December 7, I sent a letter to Congressional leadership urging the inclusion of $1.6 billion in funding for this critical program.  

If you or anyone you know is struggling with this challenge, I urge you to visit the PA Department of Human Services website to find more information, or got to the local county assistance offices in Chester and Berks Counties. 

I’ll discuss the information in this newsletter and more during my next town hall. It’s so important to hear from you, members of my community, about how housing concerns might impact your family. I look forward to speaking with you! 

What: Housing Resources Telephone Town Hall 

Who: Chrissy Houlahan, PA-06 Congresswoman

Dolores Colligan, Director of the Chester County Department of Community Development 

Ashley Chambers, Senior Vice President of Community Impact for the United Way of Berks County 

When: Thursday, December 21 at 5 p.m. 

How: Dial (855) 731-4616 or listen at houlahan.house.gov/live.

.  .  . 

ICYMI: Earlier this week, I announced that the Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority was identified for the Federal Railroad Administration’s corridor identification program. Meaning, the federal government is moving forward on my request to restore passenger rail from Reading to Philadelphia! More on that in my next newsletter, but you can read this in the meantime: Berks Weekly — Houlahan: Reading on track to restore rail service. 

.  .  . 

Serving as our community's representative is the honor of my lifetime, and I hope to hear from you soon about any issue that concerns you.  

As always, please contact my office if you need assistance. 

Be well and see you soon! 

Chrissy Houlahan 

U.S. Member of Congress