Philadelphia, PA – Community Legal Services (CLS) and Esperanza released policy recommendations in the newly published Enduring the Extremes: As Temperatures Rise, Pennsylvania Must Expand LIHEAP to Cover Cooling Needs. The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), a federally-funded pro- gram that helps low-income households in every state pay for their home energy bills and resolves energy-related crises, does not currently cover cooling costs in Pennsylvania. Through a survey of over a hundred residents and a community listening session in North Philadelphia, Esperanza, and CLS identified an urgent need for Pennsylvania to expand LIHEAP to include cooling assistance and avert the harmful health impacts of rising temperatures in low-income communities and communities of color.
The survey included renters and homeowners. 51% of those surveyed were African American, and 41% were Hispanic/Latinx. Of those surveyed, 76% said they can- not afford their energy bills in the summer. “Sometimes the mail will come late, and if I get behind–I get a shut- off notice. Then there is nothing I can do because there is no LIHEAP in the summer,” said one participant. “Everything is expensive and increasing. It is ridiculous how the bills jump. My bill is high all year. I have asthma and anemia. They should have LIHEAP all year round for everyone,” said another participant. The report also identified a need for materials and education on the program in Spanish.
As temperatures rise, so do cooling costs. Across Pennsylvania, electric bills increased by an average of 79% between June 2020 and June 2023. “In Philadelphia, several neighborhoods experience temperatures as much as 22 degrees higher than others,” the report states. Historically redlined neighborhoods like Hunting Park, Cobbs Creek, and Point Breeze, which are predominantly Black and Latino, are the city’s hottest neighborhoods. Due to systemic disinvestment, these communities have older housing infrastructure and fewer trees and green spaces. In rural areas across the Commonwealth, the impact of rising temperatures on the agricultural industry is compounded by the lower likelihood that rural residents will have air conditioning in their homes. Those who can pay the least have to pay the most.
“Our Hunting Park community has some of the highest heat exposure and sensitivity scores in the city, which disproportionately and negatively affects the health and well-being of local residents in one of the poorest districts in Philadelphia. While Esperanza and many local partners continue to green our streets and collaborate to help mitigate extreme heat in our neighborhood, residents need support in the form of policy change now. Esperanza and CLS are calling for ,…
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