Title
Authorizing the Committee on Finance to conduct public hearings to examine the City Budget for nontraditional funding sources to assist low and middle income households with home repair and maintenance service to address household energy needs, weatherization and improved energy efficiency in light of CDBG funding cuts and federal funding reductions to homeowner assistance programs.
Body
WHEREAS, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding from the federal government is dwindling as a result of the Budget Control Act of 2011. The decline in CDBG funding to utility assistance programs operated by non-profits such as the Utility Emergency Services Fund contributes to even greater underfunding for needy households due to the loss of dollar-for-dollar matching funds leveraged from their partnering utility companies. For example, since 2011 there has been a $1,060,000 reduction in matching funds from Philadelphia utility companies; and
WHEREAS, Federal funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) has also been slashed during the past several years, from $5.1 billion in Fiscal Year 2010 to $3.3 billion in Fiscal Year 2013; and
WHEREAS, The Philadelphia Housing Trust Fund and federally-funded energy assistance programs such as LIHEAP currently grant only $100 to $500 to households for use in home heating and emergency home repair cost assistance to reduce energy costs; and
WHEREAS, The decline in federal assistance has resulted in thousands of families experiencing utility service termination; and
WHEREAS, The Basic Systems Repair Program (BSRP), which provides home repairs to enable low-income homeowners to remain in their homes, has over 4,500 homeowners on the waiting list. This program is cost effective in that the average home repair cost is $10,000 compared to the average cost of a shelter stay which is $20,000; and
WHEREAS, Electricity prices per kilowatt hour increased by more than 21% in the last year ...
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