Heat-related deaths rise as states cut cooling aid for the poor

Over 30 million low-income households in the US eligible for federal funding to help with air conditioning costs have not received any money from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which was created to protect vulnerable people from dangerous temperatures. An analysis of federal records shows that in 16 states, not a single household received cooling assistance from 2001 to 2021. The program has primarily focused on providing heating assistance, leaving a significant imbalance between cold- and hot-weather aid. Experts argue that the lack of cooling assistance reflects shortcomings in US and state policies to address the increasing dangers of extreme heat, which is responsible for more deaths than other weather-related disasters.