As a new legislator, one of the issues I have been hearing most about from my constituents is the rapidly rising price of energy. Even prior to the war in Ukraine, Mainers saw the price of home heating fuel increase dramatically over the past year. Then, following the rate increase in January, many Mainers watched their electric bills double or even triple. Now, gas prices have reached levels we have not seen in over a decade and many are feeling the financial crunch.

While the Maine State Housing Authority’s Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) has more money available than before, conversations with my constituents reveal that people have been unable to receive these funds in a timely manner due to significant delays in processing and approving applications.

As a key assistance program providing income-eligible households with funds to help offset the costs of home energy, HEAP funds must be readily accessible to individuals and families across the state.

In response, the first piece of legislation I submitted as a new lawmaker was a bill to address these administrative inefficiencies. My bill, L.D. 2006, directs the Maine State Housing Authority to establish the HEAP Administrative Efficiency Fund and to shorten application waiting and approval times.

It also directs the Maine State Housing Authority to convene a working group to find ways to improve and increase the efficiency of the assistance program. This would include looking at accessing existing information, such as income data, already on file with the Department of Health and Human Services for program participants who opt-in to having their information shared this way. This could potentially eliminate the burden on HEAP applicants who have already provided proof of income to another agency. It would also decrease the administrative burden on the HEAP side.

Most importantly, the bill explicitly states that the working group must include one or more individuals who have used the program – a component I believe is crucial to building a system that directly addresses the primary hurdles Mainers are facing.

With spring on the way, the use of home heating fuel will soon decrease. However, winter will circle back sooner than most of us would like and these funds will remain equally important.

I was proud to see my bill receive unanimous, bipartisan support from the Labor and Housing Committee, and initial support from the Maine House last week.

I have learned quickly in my first few months as a legislator that I need to hear from the people I represent in order to do my job most effectively. While I cannot fix every issue my constituents are facing as quickly and completely as I’d like, we can make important progress. This bill is a product of Mainers speaking up and sharing their concerns with me.

I am grateful for their voices, and to the Maine State Housing Authority for taking my constituents’ concerns seriously and recognizing there is room for positive change and growth.

With only a few days remaining in the legislation session, I am hopeful this bill will cross the finish line.

Raegen LaRochelle, an Augusta Democrat, is serving her first term in the Maine House of Representatives, where she is a member of the Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business Committee.