The Impact of Low‐income Home Energy Assistance Program Participation on Household Energy Insecurity

Murray, Anthony G.; Mills, Bradford F.

doi:10.1111/coep.12050

Cited by 46 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 19 publications

(34 reference statements)

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“…Both the LIHEAP and WAP programs serve far fewer households than are eligible (Hernández et al, 2014) and few studies have evaluated the impact of these programs on energy security or broader measures of well-being. One recent study used policy simulations to assess the impact of LIHEAP on energy security and found that eliminating this program would reduce the number of energy secure low-income households by at least 17% (Murray and Mills, 2014). Another study found that LIHEAP is associated with better nutrition among young children in low-income renter households (Frank et al, 2006), underscoring the interdependent nature of hardships involving basic needs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maternal depression as a risk factor for children's inadequate housing conditions

Corman

Curtis

Noonan

et al. 2016

Social Science & Medicine

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Depression among mothers with young children is an important public health issue that not only has implications for their own well-being, but can also potentially affect their children’s health and developmental trajectories. This study explored the extent to which maternal depression is a risk factor for inadequate housing conditions related to utilities, a noteworthy risk factor for poor child health. Using data on 2965 mothers and children from a national urban cohort of U.S. births in 1998–2000, we estimated multivariate logistic regression models of associations between maternal depression during the postpartum year and a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) measure of severely inadequate housing due to heating issues, as well as a broader measure of energy insecurity that encompasses various types of utility problems. We also considered outcomes that incorporated housing instability and food insecurity in conjunction with housing inadequacy. Mothers who experienced depression had about 60% higher odds of experiencing severely inadequate housing due to heat (OR: 1.57) and 70% higher odds of experiencing energy insecurity (OR: 1.69) compared to mothers who did not experience depression. Maternal depression was even more strongly associated with multiple hardships in the forms of housing inadequacy plus housing instability and/or food insecurity than it was with housing inadequacy. This study provides robust evidence that maternal depression is a risk factor for inadequate housing and multiple hardships during a critical period of children’s development. The findings suggest that policy efforts should not occur in mental health, housing, and food security silos.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maternal depression as a risk factor for children's inadequate housing conditions

Corman

Curtis

Noonan

et al. 2016

Social Science & Medicine

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“…comparison, an estimated 16% of eligible households nationally receive benefits from LIHEAP. 24 The largest proportion of heat-associated deaths during the study period occurred among people who had lived in Arizona for ≥20 years. Although long-term Arizona residents might be better acclimated to heat than the average population, 9 acclimation does not eliminate the risk for death from heat-associated illness.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…The federally funded low-income home energy assistance program (LIHEAP) can help people who are unable to afford electricity for heating or cooling. 24 However, in 2014, LIHEAP funding supported fewer than 5% (n = 50 520) of 617 000 eligible Arizona households 25 ; by Arizona residency was based on address information on the death certificate. f Data on Arizona residency were available for 913 decedents; data on years lived in Arizona were available for 727 of 842 Arizona residents.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heat-Associated Mortality in a Hot Climate

et al. 2020

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Objectives Maricopa County, Arizona (2017 population about 4.3 million), is located in the Sonoran Desert. In 2005, the Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) established a heat-associated mortality surveillance system that captures data on circumstances of death for Maricopa County residents and visitors. We analyzed 2006-2016 surveillance system data to understand the characteristics and circumstances of heat-associated deaths. Methods We classified heat-associated deaths based on International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes (X30, T67.X, and P81.0) and phrases (heat exposure, environ, exhaustion, sun, heat stress, heat stroke, or hyperthermia) in part I or part II of the death certificate. We summarized data on decedents’ demographic characteristics, years lived in Arizona, location of death (indoors vs outdoors), presence and functionality of air conditioning, and whether the decedent had been homeless. We examined significant associations between variables by using the Pearson χ2 tests and logistic regression. Results During 2006-2016, MCDPH recorded data on 920 heat-associated deaths, 912 of which included location of injury. Of 565 (62%) heat-associated deaths that occurred outdoors, 458 (81%) were among male decedents and 243 (43%) were among decedents aged 20-49. Of 347 (38%) heat-associated deaths that occurred indoors, 201 (58%) were among decedents aged ≥65. Non-Arizona residents were 5 times as likely as Arizona residents to have a heat-associated death outdoors ( P < .001). Of 727 decedents with data on duration of Arizona residency, 438 (60%) had resided in Arizona ≥20 years. Conclusions Ongoing evaluation of interventions that target populations at risk for both outdoor and indoor heat-associated deaths can further inform refinement of the surveillance system and identify best practices to prevent heat-associated deaths.

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“…Consequently, reduction focused strategies or metrics embedded within a national energy poverty policy to understand the effectiveness of each program's response were not established. Nonetheless, each program has a list of successes, namely, reducing energy costs 22,23 , improving children's growth and health 24 , and reducing greenhouse gas emissions 15,25 . Despite measurable successes, without formal and comprehensive recognition of energy poverty, the effectiveness of current responses continues to be masked by poor performance measures not aligned with national energy poverty reduction.…”

Section: Evaluation Of Us Responses To Energy Povertymentioning

confidence: 99%

Recognition of and response to energy poverty in the United States

2020

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A household is energy poor when they cannot meet energy needs. Despite its prevalence, the US has not formally recognized energy poverty as a problem distinct from general poverty at the federal level, which limits effective responses. In this Review, we examine the measurement and evaluative metrics used by the two federally-funded energy programs focused on reducing high energy bills to understand how program eligibility requirements and congressional funding appropriations have shaped the national understanding and implementation of energy poverty assistance. We find that current measurement and evaluative metrics hinge on the distribution of government resources and the number of vulnerable households assisted, rather than improving household well-being and reducing overall energy poverty. We suggest that comparisons to formal food insecurity and fuel poverty recognition and national responses in the US and UK, respectively, can help inform the development of more comprehensive US responses to energy poverty going forward.

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The Impact of Low‐income Home Energy Assistance Program Participation on Household Energy Insecurity

Cited by 46 publications

References 19 publications

Maternal depression as a risk factor for children's inadequate housing conditions

Maternal depression as a risk factor for children's inadequate housing conditions

Heat-Associated Mortality in a Hot Climate

Recognition of and response to energy poverty in the United States

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