New Hampshire Local Funds

• New Hampshire has a statute dating back to the 1840's that requires towns and cities to provide emergency welfare services to the poor, funded by local property taxes.
  
  Although local entities can adopt their own assistance guidelines, in most cases the assistance includes payments to landlords and utilities for rental and utility assistance, vouchers for food and clothing, as well as burial expenses. The amount for energy assistance alone is about $2 million per year. About $1 million was accepted as a LIHEAP leveraged resource during FY 2002.
  
  When LIHEAP is operating, the towns do outreach and refer applicants to the community action agencies who administer LIHEAP. The CAAs may assign representatives to town halls to take applications. When LIHEAP funds are expended, the CAAs then refer people back to the towns. The town will pay an energy bill when LIHEAP is operating if a household's application has not been certified and the household has an energy emergency.

LEVERAGING

2003: $1.8 million
2002: $1 million
2001: $2.2 million
2000: $980,147
1999: $898,612
1998: $1.2 million
1997: $1.1 million
1996: $1.1 million
1995: $1.6 million
1994: $1.4 million
1993: $1.5 million

LEGISLATIVE CODE

1997, New Hampshire Revised Statutes, Title 12, § 165:1-165:4

Page Last Updated: December 7, 2005