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 State Median Income 60.00% 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. A crisis is considered to occur when a household is unable to maintain heat in their home.This may be the result of: 1. Heat is shut off due to failure to pay a regulated utility bill. 2. Inability to pay for deliverable fuel. 3. The breakdown of a heating system. 4.3 What constitutes a life-threatening crisis? A life-threatening crisis is considered to occur when the household is unable to maintain heat in their home AND the outside temperature is currently at or is forecasted to be below 20 degrees Fahrenheit within the next 24 hours as reported by a weather service such as the Weather Channel. This may be the result of: 1. Heat is shut off due to failure to pay a regulated utility bill. 2. Inability to pay for deliverable fuel. 3. The breakdown of a heating system. 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: Deliverable fuel crisis grants are issued if a household has less than 1/4 tank of deliverable fuel left (or equivalent) and $300 or less balance of their non crisis grant. Utility crisis grants are issued if a client has a utility shut off or has moved to a new residence and cannot get utilities turned on without making a payment towards back balance. Heating systems crisis assistance is issued if heating system is inoperable. In cases of funding anticipated to run out prior to end of the heating season, priority will be given to households with an elderly, disabled, or young child member. One way this is done is by allowing households with a vulnerable member to request a crisis grant for several weeks before households without a vulnerable member can request a crisis grant. 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: 4.9 If you have a separate component, how do you determine crisis assistance benefits? Amount to resolve the crisis. $0 Other - Describe: Recipients of a deliverable fuel crisis grant receive 100 gallons of fuel Recipients of a utility crisis grant receive the percentage of funds needed to have their utilities restored. To receive a crisis grant, a household must first have applied and been certified for a primary grant. Therefore, a household would only need to call the subrecipient to request a crisis grant and not need travel to the subrecipient's location. In addition, all household can apply for a primary grant online or through the mail. 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. To receive a crisis grant, a household must first have applied and been certified for a primary grant. This can be done through the mail, online, or in person at geographically accessible places. To request a crisis grant, a household only needs to call the subrecipient to request and does not need travel to the subrecipient's location. 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. To receive a crisis grant, a household must first have applied and been certified for a primary grant. This can be done through the mail, online, or in person at geographically accessible places. To request a crisis grant, a household only needs to call the subrecipient to request and does not need travel to the subrecipient's location. Travel to the sites at which applications for crisis assistance are accepted? Yes No If No, explain. To receive a crisis grant, a household must first have applied and been certified for a primary grant. This can be done through the mail, online, or in person at geographically accessible places. To request a crisis grant, a household only needs to call the subrecipient to request and does not need travel to the subrecipient's location. 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? Benefit Levels, 2605(c)(1)(B) 4.12 Indicate the maximum benefit for each type of crisis assistance offered. Winter Crisis $1,500.00 maximum benefit Summer Crisis $0.00 maximum benefit Year-round Crisis $0.00 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 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): 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. Between November 1 and April 15 each year, households deemed eligible for the discounted rate cannot have their utilities shut off by RI Energy, the state’s largest utility provider of electricity and natural gas. 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 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.