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Enhancing Enrollment in Lifeline Programs for Hispanic Communities

This report discusses strategies to increase enrollment in Lifeline programs, specifically focusing on the challenges faced by Hispanic communities in accessing energy assistance through LIHEAP, food stamps, and other essential services. The findings highlight the underrepresentation of Hispanics in these programs and emphasize the need for improved outreach efforts beyond automatic enrollment. Nontraditional consumer education methods, including grassroots campaigns, are suggested to better connect with hard-to-reach populations and ensure equitable access to vital resources.

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Enhancing Enrollment in Lifeline Programs for Hispanic Communities

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  1. Telephone Lifeline Programs:Expanding the Enrollment Roger D. Colton Fisher, Sheehan & Colton National Low-Income Energy Consortium June 2003

  2. “Express Lane Eligibility”:Primary Way to Increase Enrollment LIHEAP Food Stamps School lunch/school breakfast SLMB (health care) PAAD (prescription drug assistance) WIC (Women Infants & Children) Unemployment

  3. Dangers of automatic enrollment Exclusion of nonparticipants (Iowa) Hispanics underrepresented in: 13 of 18 CAAs (2002) 12 of 18 CAAs (2001)

  4. Dangers of automatic enrollment Exclusion of nonparticipants (Iowa) Hispanics underrepresented: Of 75,000 LIHEAP recipients, additional 4,400 Hispanics would have been needed to reflect their incidence in population. Increased Hispanic participation of 230% needed to reflect population.

  5. Not a reflection on Outreach Efforts! Consider the NRRI Report: “Survey results show that when those of Hispanic origin look for help, close to half think first of friends of relatives.”

  6. Not a reflection on Outreach Efforts! Consider the NRRI Report: “The results could suggest that utilities and commissions need to assess their outreach to Hispanic customers to inform them of programs like Lifeline and Link-up. Nontraditional consumer education such as grass-roots campaigns might be more appropriate for hard-to-reach groups such as Hispanics.”

  7. Conclusion: Automatic outreach is a necessary component to LIHEAP outreach, BUT cannot be exclusive entrance into Lifeline or Link-up.

  8. For more information: roger@fsconline.com

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