Minnesota has $111M for heating help as applications decline; Brainerd woman still waiting for answers

Minnesota has $111M for heating help as applications decline; Brainerd woman still waiting for answers Kamaria Braye KSTP As colder temperatures settle into Minnesota, state officials say $111 million is available to help income-qualified households pay heating bills and keep their homes warm this winter.But while funding remains available, state data shows fewer households have been receiving assistance in recent years, a trend officials say they are still trying to understand.The Minnesota Department of Commerce recently received $111 million in federal funding for the state’s Energy Assistance Program, which helps eligible households pay heating and electric bills, avoid utility shutoffs and, in some cases, repair or replace failing heating systems.“With those funds, we can help income-qualified Minnesotans keep their homes safe and warm,” said Michael Schmitz, director of the Energy Assistance Program for the Minnesota Department of Commerce.According to state data, approximately 117,000 households received energy assistance during the most recent heating season. That’s about 9% fewer households than two heating seasons earlier.When asked why participation has declined, Schmitz said there is no clear answer.“That’s a great question. We don’t know exactly why,” Schmitz said.Schmitz said a federal funding delay last year may have played a role.“Last year there was a federal shutdown that delayed our funding pretty significantly. I don’t believe we received our funds until late November last year, and I think for a lot of people who are hoping to fill up their fuel oil tank or the propane tank, especially, they may not be able to wait for our funds to get here,” Schmitz said. “They might just find another way to get a delivery, and then they might not come back, and so it’s possible that had an impact last year.”He also pointed to inflation.“I think also just our funds have stayed pretty steady for the past 15 years, and with inflation, they just don’t go as far,” Schmitz said. “So if our benefits are getting smaller, I think that there might be less incentive to apply.”Commerce officials say they are also seeing fewer people submit applications year after year.During the COVID-19 pandemic, the program received a large influx of federal funding, allowing it to serve more households and provide larger benefits. Since then, funding has returned closer to pre-pandemic levels.At the same time, Schmitz said available data suggests the need for assistance has not significantly changed.“The latest information we have is from Census Bureau survey, the American Community Survey,” Schmitz said. “From that, it looks like the number of households who are income eligible is about the same as it was five years ago.”A Brainerd woman’s struggleFor Jodi Ash of Brainerd, the issue is personal.Ash said her gas service was disconnected in late April or early May after she was unable to pay approximately $950.“They showed up at our door and demanded like $950 to keep our gas on, or they were going to shut it off,” Ash said. “And I told them there was absolutely no way I could afford to pay that, so they went out back and they shut the gas off.”Ash said she applied for energy assistance through Lutheran Social Service before the shutoff, but she never received a determination on her application, and repeated attempts to check the status were unsuccessful.“Every time I called their number, I got a message, a recorded message saying that if you were calling to check on the status of your application, you would not receive a phone call back, and to just wait and wait for a letter to come in the mail, and I never got anything,” Ash said.Months later, Ash said she still does not know whether her application was approved, denied or remains pending.Ash said she, her ex-husband and his brother live in the home together. She said she has undergone both back and heart surgery, while another member of the household has experienced multiple heart surgeries and uses a CPAP machine.Without gas service, Ash said the household has relied on blankets and other ways to stay warm.“No, not at all. All we have are little space heaters,” she said. “I did a self clean on the oven, so it would help warm it up in there a little bit. But we can’t do a whole lot of that because that’s just going to raise our electric bill up.”She said temperatures inside the home typically range between 58 and 60 degrees.As winter approaches, Ash worries about what could happen if the situation is not resolved.“My fear is that we’re not going to have any heat in here to keep the pipes from freezing, which is going to cause us to have to probably move out of here, and we really can’t afford that,” she said.The situation has taken an emotional toll.“It’s been very, very hard. Very hard,” Ash said. “I feel lost and forgotten about it.”Ash said restoring heat to the home would make a significant difference.“It would mean the world. For one, my grandkids could come over, and I wouldn’t have to worry about them being cold. I wouldn’t have to worry about my dog being cold. I wouldn’t have to worry about my dog being cold,” she said. “I wouldn’t have to sit in my room most days under my blankets to try and stay warm.”What the Energy Assistance Program providesThe program is available to both renters and homeowners who meet income requirements.According to Commerce, the program can help residents:Pay heating and electric bills.Avoid utility disconnections.Reconnect service in certain circumstances.Receive emergency fuel deliveries.Repair or replace broken furnaces or boilers for eligible homeowners.Access crisis assistance when facing a heating emergency.“Our average benefit of $600, it doesn’t cover a household’s annual energy bill,” Schmitz he said. “I think the typical Minnesota energy bill is over $2,