Louisiana Housing Corporation (LHC)

Louisiana Housing Corporation (LHC)

Current availability and cycle status

The Louisiana Housing Corporation (LHC) administers Louisiana’s federally funded Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) through local provider agencies. LIHEAP can help eligible households with home heating and cooling costs and certain urgent energy needs. The FFY2026 regular statewide online application is closed, and LHC’s posted local cooling intake period ended September 30, 2026, or earlier if funds were exhausted. The accepted FFY2026 plan also ended its year-round crisis component on September 30, 2026. LHC’s current Energy Assistance page directs people seeking crisis appointments or help applying to contact their parish partner and says crisis applications are not taken online. That contact instruction does not establish that a new FFY2027 cycle has opened. As of this review, LHC’s FFY2027 plan documents remain labeled proposed and no new application window is announced. This is therefore a historical reference for the closed FFY2026 cycle, not a claim that applications are currently being accepted. Anyone with an urgent need should contact the parish provider through LHC’s directory to ask whether it can assist under current authority and what options are available. A question or appointment is not a guarantee of a LIHEAP award.

The current public notices list an FFY2027 LIHEAP model plan and plan changes labeled “PROPOSED.” The model-plan file itself identifies the application as “Saved – with Errors,” so it does not establish an approved plan or an open application period. The public hearing announcement set the hearing for September 28, 2026 and described finalization and federal submission as steps that would follow the hearing and review of comments. The posted notices still label both FFY2027 documents proposed. Their prospective component periods include heating from November 15, 2026 through March 15, 2027, cooling from April 1 through September 30, 2027, and year-round crisis from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. These dates are proposals, not proof that funding, eligibility rules, or applications for those components are final or open. LHC’s Energy Assistance page has not announced a new heating or cooling intake date. Check LHC’s program page and ask the parish provider before relying on a proposed date or using a future-cycle form.

The closed FFY2026 regular cooling intake ran locally from April 13 through September 30, 2026, or until funds were exhausted. This page preserves its amounts and eligibility details as historical context. LHC’s page still displays a “Cooling Season is Open!” banner beside an explicit notice that online applications are closed and the local intake period has ended. For current crisis needs, follow the local-provider route above rather than trying to submit through the closed online portal.

What the 2026 program offered

LIHEAP was designed to help low-income households meet home energy expenses. The LHC overview says assistance may cover heating or cooling bills, crisis bill assistance, and heating or cooling equipment repair or replacement. A local agency reviews each application and supporting information. A benefit is subject to eligibility, available funding, and the rules for the relevant component; meeting the income guideline alone did not guarantee assistance.

The final FFY2026 plan changes document lists heating assistance from December 15, 2025 through March 31, 2026, cooling assistance from April 13 through September 30, 2026, year-round crisis assistance from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026, and weatherization from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. LHC’s current Energy Assistance page repeats the heating, cooling, and crisis service periods. Earlier model-plan materials used different projected heating and cooling dates, so this archive follows the final plan changes and the posted local intake notice. The application notice gives the local cooling intake period as April 13 through September 30, 2026, or until funds ran out. The proposed FFY2027 plan lists projected component dates, but those dates are not an announcement that applications are open. The 2026 program dates do not confirm dates for a later cycle.

2026 benefit amounts

The accepted FFY2026 detailed plan set heating and cooling matrix benefits between $200 and $700. The amount depended on household size and calculated energy burden, rather than being a flat grant for every applicant. The plan’s matrix listed $650 for households of one to three people and $700 for households of four or more when energy burden was at least 25 percent. At 18 to 24.9 percent, it listed $500 for one to three people and $550 for four or more. At 10 to 17.9 percent, it listed $350 or $400 respectively. At 9.9 percent or less, the amounts were $200 or $250. Energy burden is calculated from energy costs in relation to gross monthly household income under the plan’s calculation method.

The FFY2026 plan provided one additional $100 payment per household when the household included a person age 60 or older, a person with a disability, or a child age five or younger. That payment was part of the regular heating or cooling benefit, and the plan capped the total at $800; it did not raise an $800 matrix benefit to $900. The plan set the year-round crisis maximum at $1,000 per household during a 12-month period. Crisis help was tied to documented need, such as the amount on a disconnect notice or eligible equipment costs, rather than automatically paid at the maximum.

The posted FFY2027 proposal lists the same $200 minimum and $800 maximum for heating and cooling, the additional $100 payment for a household with a member age 60 or older, a person with a disability, or a child age five or younger, and a $1,000 maximum year-round crisis benefit. Its proposed matrix varies regular heating and cooling benefits by household size and energy burden. Because the plan is still labeled proposed, treat those amounts as a preview, not a finalized award schedule. Ask the local provider to confirm the controlling plan, available funds, and component rules before applying.

Income and other eligibility rules

LHC’s posted FFY2026 income notice used 60 percent of state median income. The annual limits depended on household size: the notice ranged from $30,618 for one person to $84,790 for ten people. It listed $40,039 for two people, $49,460 for three, and $58,882 for four. The notice says the limits change after the 2026 federal fiscal year, so those dollar amounts are historical and should not be used as current limits.

The proposed FFY2027 plan also uses 60 percent of state median income for heating, cooling, and crisis eligibility, but LHC has not posted an FFY2027 income-limit table in the reviewed program materials. Treat that threshold as proposed, and ask the parish provider which limit and income-counting rules apply to a current crisis application. The proposed plan lists a Social Security card for household members and says citizens may also provide a birth certificate, naturalization papers, or passport for citizenship verification. The provider should confirm which records it currently accepts. Eligibility is not established by income alone. LHC says applicants must be responsible for the household energy bill and have an active heating or cooling utility account; the agency reviews the application and funds available.

LHC’s program overview says an applicant must be responsible for the household energy bill and have an active heating or cooling utility account. It also says assistance is not guaranteed and that other eligibility requirements may apply. The 2026 plan applies the 60 percent state median income threshold to heating and cooling and describes one regular payment during each respective season. Crisis support has separate qualifying circumstances and proof requirements; receiving a regular seasonal benefit does not by itself establish eligibility for a crisis payment. The local agency serving the address determines how rules apply to an individual case.

The 2026 plan describes special consideration for older applicants and applicants with disabilities in intake procedures. Households with people in these priority groups, including children age five or younger, may qualify for the plan’s additional $100 regular-benefit payment. Priority consideration does not replace income, household, account, documentation, funding, or component requirements. For renters whose utilities are included in rent, the plan calls for a landlord agreement stating that the benefit will be passed through as a rent reduction. For subsidized housing, a utility allowance can affect the energy-cost calculation; applicants should ask the provider how it treats their housing arrangement.

Records listed by LHC

LHC’s application page lists records applicants were asked to prepare. These include heating and cooling utility bills no older than 30 days; pay stubs from the previous 30 days for employed household members; and proof of unearned income, such as Social Security, unemployment, retirement, pension, disability, rental income, or regular contributions. The page notes that additional requirements apply to self-employed applicants and households without employment income. The local agency can explain what records it accepts for those situations.

The list also includes proof of current address, such as a rent receipt, lease, or deed; a government-issued photo ID and Social Security card for the applicant; and proof of household members and their Social Security cards, subject to possible exceptions. LHC says additional information may be needed to determine eligibility. A crisis applicant who received a shutoff notice was asked to provide the disconnect or pending-disconnection notice. Other crisis circumstances, including equipment problems or fuel emergencies under program rules, may call for different evidence. Keep copies of material submitted and record the date and delivery method. For a past application, use the provider’s instructions and case correspondence, since the online intake for this cycle is closed.

How to seek crisis help and prepare for a seasonal application

For an urgent energy crisis, use LHC’s parish provider directory and contact the local agency. LHC directs people seeking crisis appointments or application help to local partners and says the statewide online portal does not take crisis applications. That guidance identifies whom to contact; it does not announce a confirmed FFY2027 intake window. Explain whether service has been disconnected or is scheduled for disconnection, whether fuel is depleted, or whether heating or cooling equipment has failed. Ask whether the agency is currently authorized and funded to take a crisis application, which appointment method it uses, what evidence it needs, and what immediate options are available if the situation is urgent. The FFY2027 proposal describes a crisis as a disconnection or scheduled disconnection, depleted energy source with insufficient resources, or certain declared emergencies. It says utility-bill applicants need documented usage at the service address, describes what may be included when restoring service, and allows propane or prepaid applicants with less than seven days of usage to bring a vendor estimate instead of a disconnect notice. Because that plan remains provisional, follow the provider’s current instructions and do not assume the draft rules have taken effect.

The usual online portal is closed for regular heating and cooling applications. LHC’s proposed FFY2027 plan says the portal is only open at the beginning of heating and cooling seasons, and that crisis applications must go through local subgrantees. The proposed plan’s seasonal dates do not establish an opening date. If you need regular assistance, check the LHC Energy Assistance page and ask the parish provider whether the plan has been approved, whether that component is accepting applications, which submission methods are available, and whether funding remains. Do not send private records through an unverified route.

For either route, ask the provider for its current checklist before assembling a packet. Depending on the case, records may include identity and address documents, proof of household composition, income records, recent energy bills, a disconnect notice, or evidence about depleted fuel or failed equipment. The LHC page lists utility bills no older than 30 days, pay stubs from the previous 30 days, proof of unearned income, proof of current address, photo ID and Social Security documentation, and household-member records. Follow the provider’s delivery instructions and keep a copy, submission date, and case number. If something is missing, ask how to add it to the same case. For an urgent utility matter, contact both the provider and the utility about the immediate risk; an application alone does not guarantee that service will remain active or that payment has been made.

For a past FFY2026 seasonal application, the statewide portal period is over. LHC said completed online applications from that period would be processed between May 1 and July 15, 2026, while local agencies used normal intake from April 13 through September 30, 2026, or until funds ran out. Those processing and intake dates describe the closed round. Use provider correspondence to follow up about a past case, and do not treat the old deadline or portal period as a new-cycle opening.

Fees, privacy, and follow-up

LHC says that applying for LIHEAP has no fee. It also warns that LHC and local agencies will never ask for account logins, passwords, bank routing information, or credit-card information. A promise of a guaranteed award in exchange for payment is not an official application route. Verify agency contact details through the provider directory before sharing identity, income, or utility records.

For an application filed in the closed round, contact the local provider directly to ask about its status, a missing document, a decision notice, or an appeal. Keep any notice and follow the deadline and process written on it. The published proposal for a future fiscal year should not be used to determine the outcome or appeal deadline for a past case. Households whose application remained pending when intake ended should ask whether that case is still being reviewed or whether they must apply again in a later cycle.

Official sources

• LHC Energy Assistance page and parish provider directory
• FFY2026 detailed LIHEAP model plan
• FFY2026 income eligibility notice
• LHC public notices listing the proposed FFY2027 plan
• LHC notice of the September 28, 2026 public hearing on the proposed FFY2027 application
• Proposed FFY2027 LIHEAP model plan
• Proposed FFY2027 LIHEAP plan changes