Massachusetts' Outreach Strategies 2000 and 2001

Entity
Massachusetts Bureau of Energy Programs, Department of Housing and Community Development (LIHEAP grantee)

Goal
To increase participation in the LIHEAP program through enhanced outreach efforts.

Background/State-Related Issues
In the fall of 1999, the state LIHEAP office conducted outreach training and brainstorming sessions with its network of community action agencies, which administer both LIHEAP and weatherization.

The reason for the training session was a continuous (over the last 4-5 years) decline in LIHEAP participation. While the state's economy had expanded, the state felt many households were falling through the cracks and were not applying for LIHEAP and other programs for which they were eligible. The state also felt a stronger focus on outreach was needed, and that not enough was being done from a state perspective.

However, the winter of 2000 and 2001 brought some changes to the state's LIHEAP. The winter of 2000, the first winter that expanded outreach had gotten underway, saw a heating oil crisis with oil prices doubling and in some cases even tripling from the previous year's levels. During January and February, the state received an additional $26.7million in LIHEAP funding because of the price spikes. Then, during the winter of 2000-01, the state was hit by soaring natural gas and electricity prices.

Outreach Plan
The State LIHEAP (DHCD) office worked with local Community Action Agencies along with other state agencies to expand outreach throughout Massachusetts during the FY 2000 and FY 2001 programs. The meeting in the fall of 1999 resulted in many new ideas being generated and the list below was compiled by the state. About one third of the items on the list were new as of 2000 for all agencies, the other two thirds were done on isolated basis.

Outreach Activities
Below is a list of outreach activities undertaken by state and CAAs in the past twoyears.

State activities

• In early 2001, the state's governor did a 30-second public service announcement about LIHEAP on all major television channels, the first time a governor had done so.
• Yearly mass mailing from the LIHEAP agency to recipients of Transitional Assistance (public assistance) and Food Stamps, announcing that LIHEAP is about to begin. Recipients (new applicants must apply in person) are told to contact local agencies (CAAs) or the state's toll-free LIHEAP hotline, and they are told to keep the stub that is sent with this mailing as proof of income eligibility.
• Annual mass mailing from LIHEAP agency to all unemployed Massachusetts' citizens through state unemployment office, which is timed with the opening of LIHEAP.
• TV Public Service Announcement from LIHEAP agency. A brief 30-second spot highlights the program and directs people to contact the 800 number, which directs them to where to apply locally. This was the only new activity by the state.
• LIHEAP agency develops and distributes a "referral document" called "Cold Relief." Sent to other state agencies, advocacy organizations, local community groups, over 1,000 agencies and organizations receive it. Printed 15,000 in FY 2000. Has a chart listing all communities in Commonwealth and listing agencies that provide LIHEAP, weatherization and HeartWAP, a LIHEAP – funded program to repair and replace heating systems. (In some communities the same agency offers all three programs and in a few communities different agencies offer these programs.)
• A toll-free statewide "Heatline," is available, which is not staffed around the clock but has voice mail. On cold weekends, locals are sent advisories that they are required to maintain staffing and Heatline is monitored for messages.
• Once a year the LIHEAP director provides training to the utility customer service staff.

Utility activity

• Yearly (at least) utilities send out LIHEAP information as bill stuffer.
• In March 2001, utilities sent out a notice with billings urging people to apply before the moratorium ends and the program closes April 30.
• A committee of utility and agency representatives and DHCD was formed to plan outreach activities. While utilities also conduct outreach for their mandated low-income rate discounts, the committee is working to develop a more comprehensive, "one-stop" approach so that all low-income programs (rate assistance as well as energy efficiency, public and private) are publicized. All utilities have agreed to provide detailed information about LIHEAP through their call centers and increase the bill stuffers about LIHEAP. Mass Electric ran an ad about LIHEAP on major TV channels during prime time with a number for their call center. All calls are referred to the local LIHEAP agency after the initial overview of the program. The intake for the end of February exceeded the total for FY 2000 by 7,000 applications.

Local agency activities (required through contracts with the state)

• Communicate with vendors and take referrals from them.
• Provide notices and press releases to newspapers, including weekly community newspapers, which are often more widely read than larger circulation dailies.
• Coordinate efforts with local fuel funds.
• Produce local PSAs for TV and radio and also Cable TV spots.
• Contact and coordinate with other social service organizations and agencies in their service area. Beginning each year at the initial monitoring visit to CAAs, the state asks for a list of these organizations. (For example, most CAAs have direct linkages with Head Start, WIC offices, and day care.)
• Provide information on LIHEAP to participants in low-income sewer and water assistance program, which CAAs administer.
• Contact local churches and synagogues and other faith-based organizations, get notices in church bulletins.
• Meet with city and town officials, including elderly commissions and commissions on aging, to review the program and place notices in senior papers.
• Get information out through the public school systems. (However, it was noted that some school do not participate because they didn't want to hand out any information on low-income programs; but, in schools were this was done, results were good.)
• Contact local housing authorities.
• Post notices on subways and public transits in larger cities.

Optional local agency activities (done by at least one agency)

• Contact the following organizations and outlets to provide LIHEAP information:

supermarkets and local neighborhood stores,
food pantries and soup kitchens,
attend community events held during LIHEAP season,
hospital social workers,
local youth organizations,
temporary employment centers and career centers,
neighborhood health-care centers,
second hand stores and thrift stores,
labor organizations,
local bingo and keno halls,
private daycare centers,
fraternal organizations,
local veterans offices and organizations,
cities and town halls, municipal halls, and libraries,
banks and check cashing outlets (a new focus in larger cities, obviously more attractive to low-income population),
ESL classes, local immigrant organizations,
meals on wheels and other elderly programs,
pre-release and jail release programs, and
common areas in apartment complexes, with permission.

Evaluation of Outreach Activities

1. Due to colder weather and higher prices for heating oil, natural gas and electricity, the number of households assisted by Massachusetts' LIHEAP program was expected to increase by 9 percent (to 123,000 from 113,408) by the end of the 2001 program year. Intake as of the end of February 2001 had increased 18 percent statewide. However, as many states have recognized during the winter of 2000-2001, higher prices, the media and colder weather were significant adjuncts to any outreach underway by states.
   
   
2. Annual survey of grantees and comparison of number of new applicants versus recertifications by agency. The State has sent a survey to agencies with list of above activities, asking them to check off what they have done. In follow-up monitoring with agencies, these responses are discussed. By comparing the number of new applications per agency versus the number of re-certifications, and by reviewing the amount and number of outreach activities, the state can help determine what has worked and what hasn't. (Re-certifications are households previously served, who are required to mail in an updated application with income and any other new information.)
   
   
3. Special research project now ongoing with the state university data center to analyze by zip code the number of households served by Mass Health, a low-income health insurance program, and compare this to LIHEAP households served. The data will be examined to see how households served by the two programs vary by community, and to find out which agencies have good saturation and which do not. (Mass Health serves about 312,000 households at 175 percent of poverty; LIHEAP serves about 111,000). Mass Health included information about LIHEAP in a mailing to all households served which generated three weeks of an average of 75 calls per day to the DHCD Heatline. Agencies did not track the calls but reported a high incidence of calls and intake during that time period.

 Future Program Changes
Applicant surveys: For 2002, the state is considering a survey of recipients to find out from them where they've heard about the program. As a general rule, when clients come in to a local agency, they are not asked how they heard about LIHEAP because the agency has many other details to attend to, including providing information on the other energy related benefits offered, plus telephone and water-sewer discounts.

Year round program: The agencies administering LIHEAP are proposing a move to year-round LIHEAP program, due to the downsides of a seasonal program, one of which is when people receive a disconnect notice, it is often after the program is closed (although Massachusetts extended the current year's application period until the end of April). The major issue with a year-round program would be the client response to applications mailed in early summer.

Barrier study: The state would like more understanding of why people do not apply for LIHEAP and is considering developing focus groups to get a perspective on barriers from low-income households. Some have accused the state of requiring too much documentation and having too much red tape in the LIHEAP application process. However, the state believes there is certain information needed and required for the program. Regarding other barriers such as access, the state has worked hard to alleviate by having local agencies operate during alternative hours, conduct home visits, etc.

Access to working poor and those laid off: The state would like to investigate ways to access those who work at low wage jobs and who may be eligible for LIHEAP, as well as those who have just lost their jobs.

Other Issues Related to Outreach

1. Utilities and state energy office have separate outreach efforts, which include outreach for low-income utility rate discounts. As mentioned above, a committee of stakeholders has been formed and is discussing a more comprehensive approach, that is, coordinated outreach on the entire array of public and private rate assistance and energy efficiency programs offered in Massachusetts. In 1998, the energy office put out a list of suggested outreach efforts for the utility discounts, including automatic enrollment of those in other means tested programs, but the suggestions haven't been implemented.
   
   
2. Impacts of welfare reform need to be researched. The drop in TANF households is mirrored in LIHEAP, i.e., these are the households LIHEAP is losing. There is concern that they are not signing up for LIHEAP after they move off welfare and gain employment, even though they still may be LIHEAP-eligible.

Contact
Ms. Meredith Lindquist , Deputy Bureau Director
Bureau of Energy Programs
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Department of Housing and Community Development
One Congress Street, Suite 1001
Boston, MA 02114
(617) 727-3246
meredith.lindquist@state.ma.us

Page Last Updated: December 7, 2005