Social service agencies see surge in demand

LACONIA — There appears to be an upsurge in demand for food, housing and other services in recent months, as evidenced by calls to community organizations and spending by the city’s Welfare Department.

New Hampshire law requires municipalities to provide assistance to those in severe need of the basics of survival, such as food, shelter, medical assistance and utilities.

Even before recent days of snow and freezing temperatures, demands on the city’s Welfare Department had increased.

The department provided $8,406 in assistance last month, the highest total in more than three years and more than twice as much as the $3,664 spent in October 2017. September’s total was $5,008, compared to $1,624 a year earlier.

City Manager Scott Myers, who included these statistics in a financial trends report given to the City Council, did not have a definitive reason for the increase.

“Foot traffic coming through the office has been very busy,” he said. “It’s at one of the highest points I’ve seen.

“It’s a little bit surprising, because the economy has strengthened and unemployment is at record lows. Still, there’s an element that is not rising with the economic tide and that seems to be occurring through a good segment of the population.”

Karmen Gifford, president of Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce, said her office has been inundated with calls from people seeking services, even though the chamber is a business organization, not a social service agency.

She encourages people to call 211, a statewide service that refers people to organizations that can provide assistance.

“I’ve been here since 2010 and I’ve never seen anything like this,” she said. “We’re getting three or four calls an hour. For us, that’s odd — very extreme.”

Gifford said she has been asking questions to see if there is a reason for the upswing.

“Some were grandparents now caring for grandchildren unexpectedly,” she said. “Their kids may be dealing with opioids.”

The Lakes Region has an aging demographic, even by New Hampshire standards, so it’s possible there may be more grandparents struggling to take care of grandchildren. The area also has a significant problem with substance misuse.

Laconia School District Superintendent Brendan Minnihan said there are now 75 students across the district who are considered homeless. He didn’t have numbers from previous years. A majority of the district’s students have family income low enough to qualify for the federal free or reduced price lunch program.

Gifford said she has called several social service agencies and was told repeatedly that demand for help is up significantly.

“They are seeing a really big spike,” she said. “I thought the economy was better, that there were more jobs, but it seems like there are more people in a higher-income bracket and more in a lower bracket.”

In addition to the 211 system and the Welfare Department at city or town halls, the Salvation Army in Laconia has a soup kitchen and a homeless shelter. St. Vincent de Paul has a food pantry and can provide other assistance. Community Action Program of Belknap-Merrimack counties provides a range of services, including help paying utility bills.

Shannon Nolin, of the Community Action Program, said there are 4,000 pending interviews for fuel assistance, about 1,300 more than this time last year. More than 13,000 applications for assistance have been approved, and this is expected to grow to more than 30,000 by the end of the program year.

The weather is always a factor for participation in the program.   
“It’s been cold early,” Nolin said. “It was a rainy October.”

She said it’s possible more people have been seeking help from towns and cities for fuel because assistance from Community Action Program doesn’t start until November.  

Nolin said some people of limited income purchase diesel fuel five gallons at a time until they receive assistance to help them defray costs for large fuel oil purchases.

In order to qualify for fuel assistance, a family of four must earn less than $63,386 per year.

The federal government provides $27 million per year for the fuel assistance program in New Hampshire. Assistance is also offered for electrical bills under a separate program.

How to get help:

Housing — Contact the local town or city welfare officer. In Laconia, the welfare office is located in City Hall and the number to call is 603-527-1267.

Food — The Salvation Army, 177 Union Ave., 603-524-1834; St. Vincent de Paul, 1269 Union Ave., 603-528-5683, or call 211.

Assistance with paying electric or fuel bills — The Community Action Program of Belknap-Merrimack Counties, 603-225-3295.

Referrals for services, including for mental health or drug dependency — Call 211.