Nov 15, May 3, Sep 30, Jun 12, Oct 31, Sep 3, Jul 14, Mar 31, Jul 26, Aug 14, July 1, May 31, Nov 6, Jul 16, Nov 1, Jul 1, Aug 2, May 26, Jun 30, Feb 12, Now many of those moratoriums are ending, leaving consumers with a backlog of unpaid bills.
Five were listed as having July and August expiration dates. One estimate of the scope of the problem comes from a June study from the Center for Biological Diversity, which found that utilities in 17 states with available data had performed more than 1 million shutoffs since March , but the study warned that a national estimate is hard to come by because disclosure laws differ from state to state. The actual count is likely much higher, Marx said, because that figure does not include municipal utilities or utilities unregulated by the state.
The state has accommodated low-income ratepayers by allowing them to apply for extended payment plans, but the window to apply for those extensions will close at the end of the month.
Marx fears that the change could unleash a new payment crisis. The moratorium "has been a big help and also kind of a mask for the affordability problems," Marx said. The rising cost of utilities has been a long-simmering issue, especially as power and water providers raise costs to cover massive infrastructure upgrades.
As it did for so many economic problems, the COVID pandemic brought that burden into sharp relief. O dogwu O bi Linton, a commissioner for the Maryland Public Service Commission PSC , said that at the beginning of the pandemic, the state thought utilities would be able to handle short-term disruptions with existing customer assistance programs, like payment plans and state and federal welfare programs.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan issued a shutoff moratorium in March , which was eventually extended through September ; the PSC issued a rule in August barring shutoffs through November But studies have shown that the moratoriums were a valuable tool. Under New York's state law, customers can opt in to have connections protected through Dec. Minnesota, Wisconsin and Oregon have all adopted similar plans to reduce the impact to ratepayers.
The federal aid packages passed by Congress have offered states a lifeline as unpaid bills pile up. New Jersey Gov. New York has a similar effort. In Oregon, tenants are protected from eviction within 60 days of applying for rental assistance. But she called moratoriums and emergency assistance "band-aids for a much bigger problem. Housing experts have asked lawmakers to address the issue of affordable housing in the U. Some proposals include expanding access to housing vouchers, as well as new spending to provide affordable housing to low- and middle-income Americans.
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