AUGUSTA, Maine — MaineHousing will use leftover funds from last year to issue heating assistance payments to nearly 4,000 households as federal funding for the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) remains tied up during the ongoing government shutdown.

The agency announced Wednesday that it will allocate about $2.2 million in carryover funds to participating fuel vendors on behalf of households already approved for HEAP assistance. Those payments will go to residents who applied in August and September, a group that typically includes older Mainers, families with young children, and people at higher risk of hypothermia.

"As MaineHousing — like many other agencies and individuals — continues to await the end of the federal government shutdown, it was critical that we do what we can to

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