Christmas Lights shined bright in and outside houses around the country this Christmas, both celebrating the traditions of the season with lights on the house and tree, and inside, keeping the electricity and heat on for millions of households struggling like never before to do so. TIME Magazine put in context just how uncertain the edge many are standing on with their report that “more than 80 million Americans are having difficulty paying their bills during the COVID-19 recession. This financial insecurity extends to necessary household expenses like utility bills,” cautioning that “utility shutoff moratoriums in response to historic unemployment numbers and COVID-19…have already expired or will expire soon, according to the Wall Street Journal.”
Highlighting LIHEAP in their report as one immediate remedy to that uncertainty, newly-elected U.S. President Joe Biden quickly proposed $5 Billion in new program funding as part of his larger AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN $1.9 Trillion Covid relief package, with FORBES covering his comments on the crisis, urging that “we must act now and act decisively. The decisions we make in the next few weeks and months will determine whether we thrive in a way that benefits all Americans.” While Newsweek noted of the $600 stimulus checks passed in December that 6 in 10 Americans used “the money to immediately pay household bills, such as utilities,” NEADA Director Mark Wolfe, one of the country’s leading energy assistance experts, told The Hill.com that its just a drop in a bucket that keeps filling fuller with past-due bills, such that“for minority groups, those that have been hardest hit by COVID, the numbers reporting that they struggle to pay their home energy bills are even higher: 50 percent of African American households, 40 percent of Latinx households and 60 percent of Native American households.”
Championing Community Action Agencies for the vital front-line role their workers play day-in-and-out helping both the public applying for assistance and working with the utility companies on the other end of the line to negotiate payment plans and avoid shut-offs, Wolfe pointed in his comments to the fact that “today, all 50 states and the District of Colombia contract with a network of more than 1,000 local community action agencies to distribute funds under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). LIHEAP is so important because it allows people to pay their utilities with federal assistance, rather than accruing debts that continue to grow. But regrettably, these local community action agencies are struggling to sign up families not just for energy assistance but also housing, food and other social service programs. They are underfunded and are now further burdened by COVID safety restrictions. Many will be asked to now sign up families quickly for rental and utility assistance as well before the eviction moratorium expires. Listening to these community action agencies is essential.”
Agreeing with his colleague, President of Action for Boston Community Development, John Drew, confirmed to The Hill in the same story that “the victims of the current economic collapse are coming through our doors — low-income workers, elderly, disabled — all struggling to put food on their tables and hold off evictions in the midst of a bitter New England winter following several months without federal unemployment assistance. The next six months are critical. We are pleading now, on behalf of the millions facing homelessness, cold, and food deprivation, for a major federal commitment beyond the pending funds, to save lives and keep our most vulnerable neighbors, friends and loved ones safe and secure.”
Advocates were equally as busy around the country working with the powers that be on long-term plans for reducing the energy burden for struggling communities urban, rural and suburban alike, with one proactive example being The City Council of Worcester, Massachussett’s release of a draft for its GREEN WORCESTER plan, which The Telegram and Gazette reported “lays out sustainability goals across several sectors of city government, including green building, water management, emissions, waste and food resilience. The plan seeks to have the city powered by 100% clean and affordable energy by 2050. According to the draft plan, the city will get there by achieving 100% renewable energy for municipal facilities by 2030; 100% renewable electricity citywide by 2035; and 100% renewable energy in all sectors, including heating and transportation, by 2045.
Over in the Keystone State of Pennsylvania, Rep. Joanna McClinton was busy getting out the word to her constituents on “our 2021 Virtual Energy Fair on January 28, 2021, 6pm-7pm via Facebook Live! Join us to learn how you and your neighbors can stay warm and save money on your utility bills during the winter season. Hear from representatives of PECO, PGW, Philadelphia Water Department, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, and other local agencies to learn about the LIHEAP program, home weatherization options, and other cost-saving resources. Please help us spread the word by sharing the flyer! In addition to the Virtual Energy Fair, my office will distribute free energy resource bags to constituents on Tuesday, January 26, and Wednesday, January 27.”
Meanwhile, addressing the urgency of the upcoming end to the state’s moratorium on utility shut-offs in across the Keystone State, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette shared news from Elizabeth Marx, Executive Director of Harrisburg-based non-profit the Pennsylvania Utility Law Project, sounded the alarm that while “low-income families tend to triage when in crisis and respond to the biggest fire first. Utilities are always near the top of the list. But, thanks to the ongoing utility protections for a majority of utility consumers, most are not yet having to trade food and medicine for heat and electricity. The calculus ... will change dramatically in March, when the utility protections are set to expire.” Working around-the-clock to help as many families as they can avoid that danger, local heroes like the Hope For All Program at the Hazelwood YMCA were working overtime, with outreach coordinator Ericka Shelton reveal that some households are so desperate, “we’ve had folks call in for a $79 bill and it worried them sick because they didn’t have a way to pay it. We kind of fill that bubble for people who are working, but something happens to them, (like) a house fire or an illness.”
Among those looking from the policy level at lasting permanent solutions to solve this problem once and for all, leading energy assistance Advocates like Shalnda Baker, Professor of Law, Public Policy and Urban Affairs and founder of the University’s Initiative for Energy Justice at Northeastern University – who recently joined President Biden’s new administration as Deputy Director for Energy Justice at the Department of Education – noted within her research that “right now we have a moratorium on energy shutoffs in place, but we haven’t had a broader economic correction and the costs keep mounting. I think we should be looking for relief in that respect. There have been long-standing impacts to communities of color when it comes to energy. We need folks who can engage with policymakers as well as connect with these under-represented communities.”
Battling the same economic conditions out West, Politico quoted Jacob Corvidae, a principal at the Rocky Mountain Institute, echoing his aforementioned colleague in academia in noting that Biden’s Department of Energy “is currently researching materials that better insulate homes while simultaneously bringing in construction and manufacturing firms to learn about the new opportunities. Some ideas, such as manufactured walls that slap onto the exterior of existing homes.”
Nearby in Portland, Oregon, the United Community Action Network – which serves Douglas and Josephine counties – was ramping up efforts to battle the same coming expected expiration in some parts of the state of utility shut-off moratoriums for thousands of families. Sharing news with local TV station KPIC on the progress they’ve been making that thanks to the fact that “UCAN rapidly adjusted service delivery approaches to meet this unprecedented need while protecting the safety and well-being of our staff…helping 2,210 households, including 4,480 residents, reduce their energy costs throughout the region.”
Reporting by J.B.
Sources:
What to Do If You Can’t Pay Your Utility Bills | NextAdvisor with TIME
Rental Eviction Moratorium Extension Among Biden’s First Executive Orders – Forbes Advisor
Joe Biden Releases Plan to Fight COVID, Boost Economy (aarp.org)
Here's The Smartest Way to Spend Your $1,400 Stimulus Check, If It Passes (newsweek.com)
New Congress must make utility and rent relief a priority | TheHill
Politics and the City: Advocates want more from Green Worcester Plan (telegram.com)
A Message from Rep. Joanna McClinton | Globe Times (swglobetimes.com)
Biden set to supercharge clean energy push with $40B stash - POLITICO
UCAN helps record number of residents during pandemic in Douglas, Josephine counties | KPIC