Governor Healey, Secretary Tepper join Citizens Energy President Joe Kennedy III at House of Hope in Lowell to announce additional grant funding

BOSTON, MA —Nonprofit Citizens Energy today joined Governor Maura Healey at House of Hope in Lowell to announce increased funding for the Citizens Energy Shelter Winter Assistance Program (CESWAP), expanding support for shelters and facilities facing rising heating costs this winter and bringing total heating assistance provided through the program to $10 million.

Building on Citizens’ mission to make life’s basic needs more affordable, CESWAP has been providing warmth to facilities that house our most vulnerable since 1988. By significantly offsetting the energy costs to house these communities, the program diverts limited funding back to crucial services, including health care, education and job training. Annually, CESWAP provides grants to over 120 facilities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

“As heating costs continue to rise, the pressure on shelters and service providers only grows,” said Joe Kennedy III, President of Citizens Energy. “Through CESWAP, we help shelters cover heating bills so they can redirect limited resources to the critical services that change lives — from health care to job training to permanent housing support. We are proud to stand with Governor Healey and House of Hope to strengthen this lifeline for communities across the Commonwealth.”

Governor Maura Healey emphasized the importance of partnership in addressing affordability challenges.

“Programs like CESWAP are making a real difference by ensuring that shelters like House of Hope can continue providing safe, warm spaces for those who need them most. By helping to offset heating costs, we’re allowing providers to focus their resources on housing, health care, and the services that help people get back on their feet,” said Governor Maura Healey. “We’re working every day to lower energy costs for people across the state, and my Energy Affordability legislation would make it easier for organizations like Citizens to invest in these projects and send those profits right back to the people who pay the bills. We’re grateful to Citizens Energy for their partnership and their ongoing commitment to supporting our most vulnerable residents.”

“Citizens Energy has been an important partner in our work to lower energy bills and we’re glad to stand with them in announcing this important donation today,” said Secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Rebecca Tepper. “Programs like this demonstrate how targeted energy investments can protect our most vulnerable residents while strengthening the organizations that serve them. Our energy affordability legislation would make this possible on an even larger scale.”

House of Hope serves individuals and families throughout Greater Lowell with a comprehensive approach to preventing and ending homelessness. Through emergency shelter, housing stabilization, case management, and supportive services, the organization works not only to address immediate crises but also to create pathways to long-term stability. With multiple locations across the Lowell area, including its Fletcher Street facility, House of Hope provides coordinated services designed to help individuals and families secure permanent housing, access health and behavioral health supports, pursue employment opportunities, and build self-sufficiency.

“For the families who walk through our doors, warmth and safety are the first steps toward stability,” said Julie Lemire, Executive Director of House of Hope. “Support like this not only keeps our buildings heated — it strengthens our ability to provide the wraparound services that help people regain independence and hope.”

In addition to CESWAP, Citizens Energy develops, owns, and operates low-income community solar projects and other clean energy initiatives that directly reduce household electricity bills while generating funding for charitable assistance programs. Through its JOE-4-SUN community solar program, Citizens provides guaranteed annual savings to thousands of low- and moderate-income households, helping families manage rising energy costs without upfront investment. Citizens also owns and operates America’s largest low-income community solar project in California’s Imperial Valley and is Massachusetts’ largest low-income community solar developer and operator. By pairing clean energy development with innovative financing models that reinvest proceeds into community support, Citizens ensures that the benefits of the clean energy transition flow first and foremost to the households and communities that need them most.

ABOUT HOUSE OF HOPE

Since 1985, House of Hope Shelter has served tens of thousands of homeless mothers and children by providing emergency shelter services in the greater Lowell community. House of Hope, Inc. and House of Hope Housing, Inc. are sister organizations that share a commitment to transitioning homeless families into a stable community life by providing tandem services that respect and nurture families so that they can heal from the trauma of homelessness; and support heads-of-households by guiding them through opportunities to build economic sufficiency and embrace a stable home life.  For more information about House of Hope, visit www.houseofhopelowell.org, or call (978) 458-2870.

ABOUT CITIZENS ENERGY
Founded in 1979 by former U.S. Representative Joseph P. Kennedy II, Citizens Energy Corporation is a nonprofit organization that develops for-profit energy ventures to fund charitable assistance programs for low-income households and traditionally marginalized communities. Since its founding, Citizens has provided over $600 million in support to those in need.

With a mission to make life’s basic needs more affordable, Citizens delivers innovative solutions that lower energy bills, strengthen and modernize critical infrastructure, and expand access to clean energy. The organization owns and operates America’s largest low-income community solar project in California’s Imperial Valley and is Massachusetts’ largest low-income community solar developer and operator. Citizens is pioneering approaches in transmission and distribution financing that build resilient, affordable energy systems while directly supporting communities most affected by energy costs.

###