June 2010 Newsletter
In This Issue
- ACAA Annual Conference
- APS Rate Case Settlement
- SRP Rate Increase
- Weatherization Benefits Arizona
- Nutrition Assistance Enrollment
- Innovative Strategies for Ending Poverty
- Census Bureau Seeks Public Comment
- Renew your Membership or Join ACAA NOW!
- Find us on Facebook
Suggestions for our next newsletter? Please email them to info@azcaa.org!
Letter from the Director
Much has happened in our Arizona community since our last Newsletter.
ACAA held our Annual Conference at the Wigwam Resort, where 200 participants were able to take advantage of the pleasant surroundings, and participate in truly excellent plenary sessions and workshops. My personal thanks to all of you who attended and presented, and to our generous sponsors, without whom the Conference would likely not take place.
Proposition 100, the Sales Tax Initiative, passed by a majority of voters and now we look to see what additional revenue is generated. Senate Bill 1070 also passed, and so we watch to see what implications there may be for families we serve, and again, what funding implications there may be.
Payday Lending was defeated repeatedly at the Legislature this year, thanks to the efforts of many many people involved, including Senator Debbie McCune Davis, Kelly Griffith, Children’s Action Alliance, and AARP.
All of us at ACAA appreciate your ongoing involvement in our community to serve families who are struggling and to achieve policy that benefits everyone in Arizona, and for working with us to achieve our vision of an Arizona where everyone prospers. I recently saw the following poem, which I’m sure many of you have seen, but it seemed particularly relevant now as we face challenges and opportunities as Arizonans. Thank you for continuing to work on solutions and new ways of collaborating.
Cynthia
ACAA Annual Conference
The 2010 Arizona Community Action Association Annual Conference was held on May 13th& 14th at The Wigwam Resort and Spa in Litchfield Park, Arizona. The conference was a huge success with over 200 participants in attendance. This year's agenda was filled with great learning opportunities. Attendees also had a chance to participate in workshops that were both motivating and informative. ACAA hosted a Community Action Panel where the attendees heard about the history of Community Action and discussed future opportunities.
Friday's conference attendees were treated to the Arizona Attorney General Candidate Panel, made up of: Felecia Rotellini, David Lujan and Vince Robago. All Attorney General candidates were invited to attend, with Andrew Thomas not responding and Tom Horne promising attendance and cancelling at the last minute. Facilitated by Mark Moran, a local radio personality for Arizona's NPR affiliate, the panel gave our attendees a chance to learn about the candidates and the issues facing the state, and what their priorities will be, if elected.
The ACAA Annual Conference also recognizes individuals who have contributed to their community throughout the year at an awards luncheon. This year’s winners were:
Margie Frost Champions Against Poverty Award Recipients:
Arizona Funders’ Collaborative
Pictured, from left: Amber Skalski, The Steele Foundation, Inc.; Molly Trivers, Whiteman Foundation; Jane Ferguson, Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust; Amy Schwabenlender, Valley of the Sun United Way; Ed Portnoy, Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust
Not Pictured: Arizona Community Foundation, The Bidstrup Foundation, Bruce T. Halle Family Foundation, St. Luke's Health Initiatives, Wells Fargo, Martha Jane Youngker Foundation
Kelly Griffith and David Higuera with ACAA's Executive Director Cynthia Zwick
ACAA's President’s Award was presented to Attorney General Goddard, shown here with Board President Marge Leyvas:
Beating the Odds Award was awarded to Jacqueline Kester
Heart in Hand Awards were presented to: Marci Myer by Community Action Human Resources Agency; Sylvia Sheffield by Maricopa County Human Services Department/Community Services Division; Linda A. Jackson by City of Phoenix Human Services Department; Darla Tilley by Western Arizona Council of Governments; Donna Jones by Gila County Community Services; Pam Hume by Southeastern Arizona Community Action Program; Tanya Hiatt by Northern Arizona Council of Governments; and Wenda Meyer by Coconino County Community Services
A great many thanks to all those who helped make this year’s conference successful, especially to our generous Platinum Presenting Sponsors: Arizona Public Service, Salt River Project, and Wells Fargo.
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Arizona Public Service (APS) Rate Case Settlement
As a result of the Arizona Public Service (APS) Rate Case Settlement, on December, 13, 2009, the Arizona Corporation Commission allocated $5 million dollars, with an additional $3 million if needed, for a bill assistance program that would target households with incomes that fall between the 150 -200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines to help pay their bills. This program will be modeled on the existing Energy Wise Low Income Bill Assistance Program. The funds will be administered by the Arizona Community Action Association and contracted through our Community Action Agencies and through new community partners.
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Salt River Project (SRP) Rate Increase
The Salt River Project (SRP) Board of Directors recently approved a 4.9 percent rate increase in electric prices which went into effect on May 1, 2010. Customers will see, when changes are fully implemented, approximately a monthly bill increase of $5.95. Along with this increase, the Board of Directors approved options to mitigate the impact of the proposed price increase by increasing their economy discount rider,and donating $1 million dollars to the Home Energy Assistance Fund, administered by the Arizona Community Action Association (ACAA), to help SRP customers who can’t pay their bills.
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Weatherization Benefits Arizona
Weatherization is in the news! As most of you know, the state of Arizona received $57 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to enhance its low-income Weatherization Assistance Program. Arizona completed its first home in September 2009 and as of May 15, 2010, 1359 homes have been weatherized with ARRA funds. This is approximately 21% of the targeted 6400 low-income homes to be weatherized by 2012, putting Arizona on track to fully spend their allocated Weatherization stimulus dollars.
As the program picks up momentum around the state we are documenting stories about the impact this program is making in the lives of citizens all over the state. A homeowner in Prescott Valley showed a more than 50% reduction in his energy bills in 2010. He went from a $205 gas bill in February 2009 to a $102 gas bill in February of 2010 following energy efficiency measures installed in his home. Another homeowner in northern Arizona boasts that, even though the average temperature was colder by almost 8 degrees this year (2010) her utility usage is almost half of what it was last year (2009). Most homeowners receiving weatherization services are experiencing at least a 35% reduction in their utility bills. This is a significant amount which enables the homeowner to use money normally spent on utility bills for other basic needs. One homeowner stated that she was able to afford to buy her children more school clothes this year as a result of her savings.
The Weatherization Assistance Program enables low-income families and individuals to permanently reduce their energy bills by making homes more energy efficient. Weatherization stimulus funds are used to improve energy performance of dwellings of low-income households using the most advanced technologies and testing protocols available in the housing industry. The weatherization measures taken ultimately reduce household operating costs of the client, improve resident health and safety and improve durability and longevity of housing stock throughout Arizona and put more money in their pockets to meet basic needs.
Additionally, the Weatherization Assistance program brings good jobs to Arizona. With the incoming weatherization stimulus funding, Arizona weatherization programs created 108 fulltime employment (FTE) good living wage jobs between September 2009 and April 2010. The Foundation for Senior Living Technical Training Center reports more than 11,000 weatherization training hours completed by individuals for 2009. This was an increase from only 1400 hours in 2008 and 2010 is looking to be a record year with more than 5,000 training hours being reported in the first two quarters of this year. Nationally it is reported that of hundreds of ARRA funded programs Weatherization ranks 9th in job creation.
Increased ARRA funding makes it possible for Community Action Agencies to provide benefits to more people. The additional 6400 homes that are being weatherized in Arizona due to ARRA funding are all homes of individuals and families living at or below 200% of the Federal poverty level. Nationally, combined savings for energy and non-energy benefits in 2009 show $2.72 for every $1 invested. Program-wise for every $1 invested by the Department of Energy in weatherization, the program leverages an additional $3.39 from other federal, state, local and private sources. Small businesses are solicited all over the state of Arizona to receive training and provide weatherization services for the Weatherization Assistance Program. Currently, more than 50 businesses have contracts with local Weatherization Assistance Programs throughout the state.
The Weatherization Assistance Program is making a difference in people’s lives in Arizona every day, from the homeowner to the business owner to the communities that they live in.
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Weatherization Works!
Arizona's ARRA Weatherization Assistance Program estimates it has saved $142,489.85 for homeowners since the first ARRA home retrofit was completed by NACOG on Sept. 4, 2009. To date, 1,359 home energy retrofits have been completed statewide using stimulus funds. This has cut kWh usage in Arizona by 1,223,515 and reduced emission offsets equivalent to 2,303,881miles not driven on Arizona roads.
Arizona Department of Commerce Energy Office
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More than 1 Million Arizonans on Nutrition Assistance
In January 2010, Arizona crossed the 1 million mark in terms of individuals enrolled in Nutrition Assistance (formerly the Food Stamp Program). Though national news reports tell us the economy is making a slow rebound, some of our most vulnerable households are still struggling greatly. If you or someone you know is in need of help, please visit the Arizona Self Help website (www.arizonaselfhelp.org) for a free and confidential prescreening for Nutrition Assistance and 30 other benefits and services.
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Apply online for SNAP and AHCCCS
The Department of Economic Security has launched its online application, Health-e-Arizona, for enrollment for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), medical coverage and cash assistance. You can use Health-e-Arizona even if you have applied before or are already receiving benefits. Visit Health-e-Arizona to get started.
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Innovative Stratgies for Ending Poverty
Community Action Agencies and Associations have long histories of being involved in innovative strategies to end poverty. The Arizona Community Action Association is excited to be participating in several activities throughout the summer that will look at ways Arizona can align the work already being done with some high impact/best practice strategies being implemented in the Community Action Network across the country.
- ACAA will be co-sponsoring a workshop on the Federal funding available for Individual Development Accounts with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Community Services. The workshop will take place June 9thand 10thand we look forward to bringing back the information to network members that aren’t able to participate.
- ACAA is currently in the process of working with several Community Action Agencies that have implemented Case Management Training for staff and we will be looking at the potential of providing similar training in Arizona.
- At the end of the summer, ACAA staff member Kelly McGowan will be traveling around the state to train agencies on how to use Results Orientated Management and Accountability (ROMA) to evaluate program effectiveness.
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ACAA will be holding Community Forums throughout the summer to identify successful strategies individuals and families have used to move towards self-sufficiency. Identifying these strategies will help ACAA support and replicate these concepts in our programs. The dates of the forums are as follows
Gila County – TBD
Graham/Greenlee County -- TBD
Pinal County -- August 10th
Maricopa County -- August 11th
Mohave County -- September 15th
Coconino County -- September 16th
Please contact Kelly McGowan at 602-604-0640x12 or kmcgowan@azcaa.org if you are interested in any of the information above and stay tuned as we continue to look for innovative strategies that fit into the Community Action model.
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U.S. Census Bureau Seeks Public Comment on Supplemental Poverty Measure
The Census Bureau has announced it is requesting public comment on the approach to developing a Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) presented in a report entitled "Observations from the Interagency Technical Working Group on Developing a Supplemental Poverty Measure," which was recently released by the Interagency Technical Working Group on Developing a Supplemental Poverty Measure.
This report was produced as part of an effort by the Working Group to suggest how the Census Bureau, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), should develop a new Supplemental Poverty Measure. The report provides observations about how to make a series of initial choices in the development of the SPM. The eventual publication of the SPM will not replace the official poverty measure, nor will it have any impact on allocations determined by the poverty measurement. Rather, it is part of the Census Bureau's ongoing effort to more accurately measure poverty levels in the United States.
The Census Bureau invites the public to read and offer comments on the approach described in the Working Group's full report, which can be found via a link on the website. The Census Bureau is especially interested in receiving comments on the methodology the Working Group employed in making its recommendations, including:
- Methods and data sources used to geographically adjust poverty thresholds;
- Methods and data sources used to adjust resources to account for child care and other work-related expenses;
- Methods and data sources used to adjust resources to account for medical out-of-pocket expenses; and
- Methods and data sources used to impute dollar values for in-kind benefits and taxes.
Comments are due by June 25, 2010 to David Johnson, Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division, Census Bureau, 4600 Silver Hill Road, Stop 8500, Washington, DC 20233-8500 or to spm@census.gov.
For more information please click here.
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Renew Your Membership or Join ACAA NOW!
ACAA's Memerbship year coincides with our Annual Conference, running May 2010 - May 2011. If you registered for this year's Conference, your Annual Membership was included in the cost of Conference registration.
If you were not able to attend the ACAA 2010 Annual Conference, NOW is the time to join ACAA or renew your membership!
To join online and pay by credit card OR to print an application and pay by check, please visit ACAA's website.
ACAA offers a low-income waiver to households meeting certain criteria. To see if your household qualifies and apply for a low-income waiver, please visit ACAA's website and look at the downloadable application available there.
