4 CRISIS ASSISTANCE

Eligibility - 2604(c), 2605(c)(1)(A) 4.1 Designate the income eligibility threshold used for the crisis component Add Household size Eligibility Guideline Eligibility Threshold 1 All Household Sizes HHS Poverty Guidelines 150.00% 4.2 Provide your LIHEAP program's definition for determining a crisis. If you administer multiple crisis assistance programs (winter, summer, and/or year-round), Include all program definitions. The Iowa LIHEAP Policy and Procedures Manual lists allowable year-round crisis measures within expenditure limits. Those allowable measures address the following crisis situations: * Repair/replacement of non-working heating units * Temporary need for alternate shelter, blankets, electric portable space heaters * Disconnected from utility service * Disconnection from utility service imminent * Emergency delivery of fuel when 30% or less remaining * If medically necessary, provide a window/portable air conditioning unit or repair/replacement of existing central AC 4.3 What constitutes a life-threatening crisis? A household facing any of the scenarios listed above, during times of extreme weather (extreme heat or cold), is defined as facing a life- threatening situation. LIHEAP Federal regulations (quoted below) require that a life-threatening situation be evaluated and resolved in the following manner (NOTE: Addressing emergency heating situations, such as repairing or replacing a heating system, is the responsibility of LIHEAP and not the Weatherization Assistance Program). • Not later than 18 hours after a household applies for energy crisis benefits [ECIP Crisis Assistance], provide some form of assistance that will resolve the energy crisis if such a household is eligible to receive such benefits and is in a life-threatening situation. For the purpose of implementing the 18-hour processing provision, a life-threatening situation exists if the following conditions are met: • Per Iowa’s Cold Weather Law “extreme weather” is defined as days where the high temperature is 20 degrees or less, and; • The household is not currently protected under the Iowa’s Winter Moratorium protection and is therefore subject to disconnection. Crisis Requirement, 2604(c) 4.4 Within how many hours do you provide an intervention that will resolve the energy crisis for eligible households? 48Hours 4.5 Within how many hours do you provide an intervention that will resolve the energy crisis for eligible households in life-threatening situations? 18Hours Crisis Eligibility, 2605(c)(1)(A) Winter Crisis Summer Crisis Year-Round Crisis 4.6 Do you have additional eligibility requirements for Crisis Assistance? 4.7 Check the appropriate boxes below to indicate type(s) of assistance provided 0 Do you require an Assets test? Do you give priority in eligibility to: Older Adults (60 years or older)? Individuals with a disability? Young Children? Households with high energy burdens? Other (Specify): In Order to receive crisis assistance: Must the household have received a shut-off notice or have a near empty tank? Must the household have been shut off or have an empty tank? Must the household have exhausted their regular heating benefit? Must renters with heating costs included in their rent have received an eviction notice? Must heating/cooling be medically necessary? Must the household have non-working heating or cooling equipment? Other (Specify): Do you have additional/differing eligibility policies for: Renters? Renters living in subsidized housing? Renters with utilities included in the rent? Explanations of policies for each "yes" checked above: - In a standard funding year (no emergency or supplemental federal funding) households must be at imminent threat of disconnection in order to receive a Service Continuity benefit payment and maintain their service connection. For deliverable fuel households, they must be at or below 30% of a full tank, but not yet at 0% or empty to receive an Emergency Delivery – Low Tank benefit payment. However, this additional criterion is specific to the Service Continuity and Emergency Delivery – Low Tank crisis assistance benefit categories only, not overall household LIHEAP eligibility. - In a standard funding year (no emergency or supplemental federal funding) households must already be disconnected from their energy service to receive a Reconnection benefit payment and restore their service connection. For deliverable fuel households, they must be at 0% or empty to receive an Emergency Delivery – Empty Tank benefit payment. However, this additional criterion is specific to the Reconnection and Emergency Delivery – Empty Tank crisis assistance benefit categories only, not overall household LIHEAP eligibility. - Subsidized households where primary heat is included in the rent are eligible for Crisis Assistance if they have a secondary energy burden with a utility vendor. Subsidized households where both heat and electric are included in the rent are ineligible because the household's energy burden is already reduced through the housing subsidy, and there is not an eligible account to address to ensure the crisis is resolved. - Non-subsidized households where all energy utilities are included in the rent are not eligible for Crisis Assistance unless they can demonstrate a measurable primary or secondary energy burden. NOTE: Section 4.1- Iowa's eligibility threshold is 200% FPG ($31,300 for a household of 1), which matches Iowa's Weatherization Assistance Program and is less than 60% of Iowa's SMI ($36,756 for a household of 1). **please note Iowa uses income amounts based in FPG which exceed 150% (up to 200%) which is allowable as 200% FPG amounts are less than 60% SMI amounts. However, the OLDC report will not allow me to indicate 200% FPG without causing an error, so it had to be entered as 150%. Determination of Benefits 4.8 How do you handle crisis situations? Separate component Benefit Fast Track, no separate amount of crisis funds is issued. Rather benefits are issued to crisis customers within crisis response time frames. Other - Describe: NA 4.9 If you have a separate component, how do you determine crisis assistance benefits? Amount to resolve the crisis. $0 Other - Describe: All allowable crisis measures have expenditure limits outlined in the Iowa LIHEAP Policy and Procedures Manual. A combination of one or more of the following crisis components may be utilized to resolve a crisis situation. * Heating Unit Repair/Replacement * Shelter, Blankets, Electric Portable Space Heaters * Emergency Delivery (Low Tank and Empty Tank) * Reconnection * Service Continuity * Emergency Cooling Crisis Requirements, 2604(c) 4.10 Do you accept applications for energy crisis assistance at sites that are geographically accessible to all households in the area to be served? Yes No Explain. NA 4.11 Do you provide individuals who are individuals with a disability the means to: Submit applications for crisis benefits without leaving their homes? Yes No If No, explain. NA Travel to the sites at which applications for crisis assistance are accepted? Yes No If No, explain. Agencies do not routinely provide transportation from an individual's home to the agency to complete an application, nor is it a state program requirement to do so. However, agency staff willingly conducts intake off-site which can include the local agency office, or the applicant's home or any preferred location in such situations to best accommodate the applicant. Applications are also accepted online, via phone, email, and mail. Agencies are contractually required to make home visits when needed. If you answered "No" to both options in question 4.11, please explain alternative means of intake to those who are homebound or physically disabled? NA Benefit Levels, 2605(c)(1)(B) 4.12 Indicate the maximum benefit for each type of crisis assistance offered. Winter Crisis $0.00 maximum benefit Summer Crisis $0.00 maximum benefit Year-round Crisis $5,200.00 maximum benefit 4.13 Do you provide in-kind (e.g. blankets, space heaters, fans) and/or other forms of benefits? Yes No If yes, Describe Payment for obtaining temporary shelter, purchase of blankets and/or electric portable space heaters. There is no limit to the number of space heaters a household can receive, except the expenditure limit. The following are minimum requirements for electric portable space heaters: Portable Space Heater Requirements (not wall-mounted) Wattage Output = 1500 Watts Power Source = Electric Safety Features = Auto Shutoff / overheat protection 4.14 Do you provide for equipment repair or replacement using crisis funds? Yes No If you answered "Yes" to question 4.14, you must complete question 4.15. 4.15 Check appropriate boxes below to indicate type(s) of assistance provided. Winter Crisis Summer Crisis Year-round Crisis Heating system repair Heating system replacement Cooling system repair Cooling system replacement Wood stove purchase Pellet stove purchase Solar panel(s) Utility poles / gas line hook-ups Other (Specify): NA 4.16 Do any of the utility vendors you work with enforce a moratorium on shut offs? Yes No If you responded "Yes" to question 4.16, you must respond to question 4.17. 4.17 Describe the terms of the moratorium and any special dispensation received by LIHEAP clients during or after the moratorium period. State law provides that all households certified eligible for LIHEAP and/or the Weatherization Assistance Program are protected from disconnection of the household’s natural gas and electric service from November 1 through April 1. This law applies to every regulated utility in the state. 4.18 If you experience a natural disaster, do you intend to utilize LIHEAP crisis funds to address disaster related crisis situations? Yes No If yes, describe Depending on the availability of funding, and the nature of the disaster aligning with allowable program activities, Iowa would focus on disaster scenarios as best we could. If any of the above questions require further explanation or clarification that could not be made in the fields provided, attach a document with said explanation here.