As winter settles over Minnesota, families still reeling from the recent immigration enforcement operation known as Metro Surge are confronting another hardship: soaring energy costs. Community‑serving groups say they are fielding a wave of requests for help navigating the state’s Energy Assistance Program (EAP) earlier than usual, and even households that previously would not have applied are now seeking aid.
Program basics and early demand
Each year beginning Oct. 1, the EAP provides direct payments to utility companies and fuel providers on behalf of qualifying households. So far this season more than 24,000 Minnesota families have received assistance, including roughly 2,800 in Hennepin County alone.
“Families are just barely scraping by right now because of the rising cost of everything,” said May Yer Thao, president of the Hmong American Partnership (HAP). Nationwide, winter energy prices could be up to 8.7% higher than last year, according to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, and Minnesota community groups are already seeing the impact.
Broader community strain
Thao noted that HAP traditionally sees a spike in utility‑bill assistance requests as the cold months approach, but this year the demand has expanded beyond low‑income families. “It’s not just low‑income families,” she said. “It’s even those of us who consider ourselves in the middle‑class bracket.”
Tammy Alto, director of energy assistance at the Community Action Partnership of Hennepin County (CAP Hennepin County), echoed the trend, reporting about 2,000 more applications this year than at the same point last year. “It was a huge jump,” she said, adding that the organization is operating with roughly $30,000 less in federal funding, which strains its ability to process applications promptly.
CAP Hennepin County has processed over 6,000 applications since the window opened last month, but about 5,000 remain pending. Alto explained that the administrative burden—verifying income changes, collecting affidavits, and obtaining signed application pages—often leads to abandoned filings. “Every year about 7,000 of our households that apply are denied because they never finished their application,” she said.
Funding cuts and partnership strategies
Both HAP and CAP Hennepin County have felt the sting of reduced funding. “Our support services dollars have been drastically reduced,” Thao said, noting that her organization can no longer provide direct financial assistance at previous levels. Instead, HAP is leaning more heavily on partners to help clients enter the EAP.
EnergyCents Coalition executive director George Shardlow highlighted the importance of the state’s Cold Weather Rule, which runs from Oct. 1 through April 30 and requires utilities to offer payment plans and advance shut‑off notices. While the rule does not guarantee protection from shut‑offs, early negotiation can keep families from losing heat.
Shardlow also said EnergyCents and other advocacy groups are pressing the state for additional, year‑round funding for the EAP. “We are continuing to work on additional funding from the utilities and the state,” he said, emphasizing the need for culturally competent community organizations to expand outreach.
Local partnerships make a difference
Rachel Landreau, energy assistance manager for the CAP Agency serving Scott, Carver, and Dakota Counties, credited partnerships with local nonprofits for boosting participation. She singled out Minneapolis nonprofit Isuroon for helping reach Somali residents who may face language barriers.
Landreau added that collaborations with food pantries, churches, and other community groups are essential for meeting families where they are and simplifying the application process.
Looking ahead
For many Minnesotans, the lingering effects of Operation Metro Surge—lost wages and fear of returning to work—continue to compound the winter energy challenge. “We definitely have seen that lag,” Thao said. “Families who were afraid to go out to work, to even go to school, we’re seeing all of that because their income for that first quarter and beyond was lost.”
As the season progresses, local nonprofits urge families to contact utilities early, explore payment‑plan options, and seek assistance through the EAP before bills become unmanageable.
Original reporting: Sahan Journal — read the source article.
