Financial need for utility bills increases

Struggling Bloomington households might have a friend in local government when pocketbooks are empty.

More residents are looking to area government programs for financial help as they struggle to cope with the recent recession, job layoffs and increasing costs of utilities, with several programs reporting a double-digit jump in applications.

The Perry Township Trustee office serves residents who live south of Third Street. Compared to last winter, Trustee Dan Combs said he has seen an increased number of people ask for help this season.

“We’ve experienced no slowdown,” Combs said. “There’s so many programs available in the winter, but this year we’ve experienced no slowdown at all.”

Overall, he said there were about 1,000 applicants seeking assistance for rent or utilities in 2008, a 10 to 15 percent jump from 2007.

He said this is due to a large number of job layoffs in the area, which forces residents to work lower-income jobs.

“The majority of households we help are working,” Combs said. “What they end up doing is getting a lower-lift job, and that pushes them down financially.”

For those living north of Third Street, the Bloomington Township Trustee has seen a substantial increase in applicants as well, said trustee Linda Sievers.

She said there has been about a 20 percent increase in applicants from November 2007 to November 2008. She said most cases seem to be due to a loss of employment.

“People are facing difficult times, and we’re the fastest, easiest way to get assistance,” Sievers said. “With the loss of jobs in the area, it’s fair to say we will see an increase this year.”

Because the money comes from Bloomington taxpayers, Sievers said there are strict guidelines for receiving help.

“We have to gather a lot of info,” she said. “We have to look at the taxpayers who are paying for this service.”

Applicants must gather their bills, monthly expenses and bank statements to show they are in need of help, Sievers said.

She also said applicants need to show proof they have an illness, or, more frequently, were laid off from their jobs.

Both offices offer food pantries, which require no application, and a shelter, Combs said, because there seems to be a substantial increase of poverty in Bloomington.

His office’s shelter, Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard, has helped about 1,500 people a week. Those numbers are constantly on the rise, he added.

The South Central Community Action Program helps residents in Brown, Monroe and Morgan counties with expenses such as electricity and water bills.

Family Development Coordinator Christine Combs said the program has helped 128 more people in 2008 than in 2007, which is “quite a big jump.”

Christine Combs said the increasing costs of utility bills and layoffs in the area from companies such as General Electric explain the jump in applicants.

“We try to catch more people before they go homeless,” Combs said. “But if you miss a couple of paychecks in America, we take your house.”