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2026 - 2027 I PY27 NH Fuel Assistance Program (FAP) Procedures Manual 39 9. ALTERNATIVE PROGRAMS

Assurance 16

The Federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) was reauthorized by Congress in the spring of 1994. In the reauthorization, Congress allowed new uses of "program" money up to 5% of the overall grant. The New Hampshire Fuel Assistance Program uses up to 5% of its available grant for Assurance 16 activities, which are specified by federal law to be:

• Counseling to promote self-sufficiency (case management - fiscal and energy related) • Needs assessments • Intervention on behalf of qualified households with energy suppliers

The primary goal of Assurance 16 is to work with a small percentage of FAP-eligible households to reduce or eliminate the need for the FAP or other assistance programs. The secondary goal is to target households with members who are elderly, disabled, or with children under the age of six that do not have sufficient means to provide for a healthy home environment and who may have artificially low home energy bills. The final goal is to help low-income people develop positive relationships with energy vendors.

The NH FAP Assurance 16 program provides self-sufficiency counseling to households that have required an expedited FAP application due to a home energy emergency (see section 8. Energy Emergency Guidelines). These households are encouraged to apply for the FAP and for other assistance in a timely manner to alleviate both special delivery charges and health and safety issues in the household.

Each CAA is required annually to submit an Assurance 16 proposal that demonstrates how the CAA plans to execute the provisions of Assurance 16. The proposal should be based on a year- round program, operating beyond the normal FAP year. The authority to use program money for this purpose is contingent upon the receipt of the Assurance 16 Plan proposal. The proposal must match the Assurance 16 activities that are being performed.

Each CAA will also provide a report on a regular basis, as specified by Federal and State requirements, which shows:

• How funds were spent • Number of households achieving self-sufficiency • Number of households reducing dependency on the FAP • Number of households denied benefits