Mixed signals on energy-assistance program

Welfare officials got a mixed message from lawmakers Thursday when they presented a program designed to help needy Nevadans with utility costs.

On one hand, members of the budget subcommittee criticized the length of time it takes to process an application for help - sometimes three months. On the other, they objected to Welfare Administrator Nancy Ford's request for more staff to fix that problem.

Subcommittee Chairwoman Sheila Leslie, D-Reno, criticized welfare officials, saying it takes an average of 10-12 weeks to process an application for assistance.

Ford said the problem is the number of applicants has jumped sharply in the past couple of years, but her staff for processing them and determining eligibility has not.

She said her office gets 3 percent of the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance grant for administrative costs. She said the costs, with five employees processing applications, now run about double that amount and the difference is made up by housing bond money.

"That money is going to go away June 30 and if we don't get additional administrative dollars in this program, our caseload processing time will double," Ford told the subcommittee of Senate Finance and the Assembly Ways and Means committees.

She said that is why she has asked to increase the administrative percentage to 7 percent - to both replace housing bond money and add staff to cut average processing time to 30 days.

But Leslie told her the committee "isn't convinced about that." She made it clear she and other members don't like the idea of increasing the administrative percentage.

Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, questioned why the program had amassed a surplus of $14 million or more since it was created three years ago. She said she has a bill that would take that surplus and use it on a new energy conservation program for the needy.

Ford said it goes back to the same problem - processing the applications to get the money out the door to people who need help with heating and cooling bills. She said the backlog of applications is now more than 5,000 because applications increased 40 percent in the past two years.

Leslie said she also doesn't approve of Ford using temporary labor to help process applications. But, Ford said, temporary help is needed to get applications processed in the face of legislative refusals to add staff.

Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, said she thinks part of the problem is the complexity of the application process and the requirements for qualifying.

"Maybe we could spend a little time making this a simpler program so it doesn't take so long and that might in and of itself help with the backlog," she said.

Ford said she has a bill before the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee asking to increase welfare's administrative percentage.

n Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.