INCOME-ELIGIBLE SERVICES: AREAS OF OPPORTUNITY August 19, 2020 - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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INCOME-ELIGIBLE SERVICES: AREAS OF OPPORTUNITY August 19, 2020 THREE FOCUS AREAS Expanding Access Beyond R2 / LIHEAP From LEAN reporting on intake Expanding Access to Small Multifamily Buildings From nonparticipant study

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INCOME-ELIGIBLE SERVICES: AREAS OF OPPORTUNITY

►August 19, 2020

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www.ma-eeac.org Income-Eligible Services: Areas of Opportunity:

THREE FOCUS AREAS

►Expanding Access Beyond

R2 / LIHEAP

− From LEAN reporting on intake ►Expanding Access to Small

Multifamily Buildings

− From nonparticipant study ►Improving Data Systems,

starting with Standardizing Computer Audits

− From process evaluation

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www.ma-eeac.org Income-Eligible Services: Areas of Opportunity:

WHY EXPAND ACCESS?

Basic principle:

►Universal access to efficiency − All ratepayers should have access to the benefits of efficiency

Ask constantly:

►Are we reaching all who are eligible? ►Are we reaching all who are paying into the system? ►Who are we not reaching? ►How can we reach them?

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www.ma-eeac.org Income-Eligible Services: Areas of Opportunity:

BEYOND R2/R4 & LIHEAP

Primary outreach by LEAN  R2 and LIHEAP Excellent source of potential participants

►More than 280,000 households served 2013-2018 ►LEAN consistently meets targets.

But, who is being left out?

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www.ma-eeac.org Income-Eligible Services: Areas of Opportunity:

BEYOND R2/R4 & LIHEAP

►Market characterization estimated 492,625 eligible

households

− Characterization was for buildings of 1-4 units ►Who is left out? − Those who are not eligible for R2 or LIHEAP (documentation) − Those who do not apply for R2 or LIHEAP (other reasons, including fear / trust) ►LEAN estimates 18-19% not being reached − More than 90,000 households in 1-4 unit buildings − Estimate 20,000 of those are undocumented

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www.ma-eeac.org Income-Eligible Services: Areas of Opportunity:

LIHEAP REQUIREMENTS

LIHEAP

►US citizen or permanent resident ►Proof of address ►Proof of residency ►Proof of income ►Social security numbers for everyone in household

R2 / R4

►If receive LIHEAP ►If receive other designated public benefits

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www.ma-eeac.org Income-Eligible Services: Areas of Opportunity:

WHICH BARRIERS CAN WE REDUCE?

There are other approaches to determination of eligibility for income-based programs:

1. Self-certification of income
2. Use of affordable rent levels
3. Use of geographic zones

Barriers reduced:

►Documentation insufficiencies (1, 2, 3) ►Individual household applications (2, 3)

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www.ma-eeac.org Income-Eligible Services: Areas of Opportunity:

SELF-CERTIFICATION OF INCOME

►Especially helpful for those in the cash economy

Example:

►California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE): − California’s program for reduced energy rates for low- income households − No proof of income required at application − Proof required for those previously denied (w/in 24 mo.) − Random requests for proof require documentation

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www.ma-eeac.org Income-Eligible Services: Areas of Opportunity:

RENT LEVEL

►Supports naturally occurring affordable housing ►Helpful for qualification of small multifamily

Example: Vermont Weatherization Multifamily

►If rent levels are affordable, building qualifies for

weatherization services

►Affordable rent < 30% of income standard

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www.ma-eeac.org Income-Eligible Services: Areas of Opportunity:

GEOGRAPHIC DESIGNATION

►Supports disadvantaged communities

Example: Florida Power & Light

►Geotarget neighborhoods with high percent of low-

income households

►Partner with CBOs for sign-up event

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www.ma-eeac.org Income-Eligible Services: Areas of Opportunity:

SMALL MULTIFAMILY BUILDINGS

Issue identified in “Nonparticipant Study”

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www.ma-eeac.org Income-Eligible Services: Areas of Opportunity:

GOAL: INCREASE PARTICIPATION

This market does not have a one-size-fits-all solution!

►Develop targets − Define submarkets ►Understand barriers and opportunities ►Address motivations − Owners − Managers − Building operators − Residents

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www.ma-eeac.org Income-Eligible Services: Areas of Opportunity:

AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING

►Subsidized Housing – approx. 262,000 units in Mass. − Public Housing – approx. 1/3 of subsidized − Assisted Housing – approx. 2/3 of subsidized

Project-based – subsidized mortgage and/or operating subsidy
Certificate-based – Section 8

►Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH) − Not subsidized or assisted by government − Low rent levels, relative to local income levels − No good state-level estimate of unit numbers − Tends to be lower-quality units

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www.ma-eeac.org Income-Eligible Services: Areas of Opportunity:

GOAL: INCREASE PARTICIPATION

Known barriers:

►Split incentive − Potentially not just owner – renter, but also property manager and others ►Lack of time ►Submarkets with different characteristics − Public Housing Authorities (PHAs), assisted, NOAH − Owner-occupied one-building − Small self-managed − Small professionally managed − Part of a larger portfolio of buildings

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www.ma-eeac.org Income-Eligible Services: Areas of Opportunity:

UNDERSTANDING MOTIVATIONS

Different owners and managers have different goals:

►Short-term net operating income ►Long-term asset value ►Resident turnover ►Ease of operation ►Standardization of systems ►Willingness to take on debt ►Willingness to spend time ►Unwillingness to change what works

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www.ma-eeac.org Income-Eligible Services: Areas of Opportunity:

GOING FORWARD

►Recommend full characterization of multifamily

market

− Leverage what is already known

Census of multifamily buildings completed in 2019
Data from recently completed participation study by LEAN

− Catalog submarkets

Pay particular attention to small multifamily buildings

− Catalog players in complex terrain − Identify barriers − Map barriers to submarkets and roles − Should address both market and income eligible programs

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www.ma-eeac.org Income-Eligible Services: Areas of Opportunity:

GOING FORWARD

►Intersectional approach to identify and address

additional barriers faced by

− Residents and owners of color − Properties in communities of color − Low- or moderate-income owners and residents − Limited-English proficiency owners and residents Emerging areas that need study.

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www.ma-eeac.org Income-Eligible Services: Areas of Opportunity:

STANDARDIZED COMPUTER AUDIT

►Move to standard computerized

audit recommended in IES process evaluation

►Standardization helps with data

aggregation and comparability, across programs and across states

►Useful for integration of data

statewide, especially with cloud- based systems

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www.ma-eeac.org Income-Eligible Services: Areas of Opportunity

DATA INTEGRATION

Integration problems are real.

► Different systems among

PAs

► Internal CAP requirements ► DOE requirements for WAP

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Integration benefits are real.

► Real-time feedback on

program success

► Better transparency ► Cross-state comparison of

activity and results

► Timely program midcourse

corrections

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