General assistance grew out of New Deal U.S. program administered at local level

Part 2 in a series

Franklin Roosevelt, whose presidency endured the Great Depression, created a series of programs in the 1930s collectively known as the New Deal that sought to ensure the United States would never again suffer from widespread poverty and joblessness.

One of those programs, known today as general assistance, has evolved into Maine’s only subsidized program that is administered locally through municipal offices.

Pine Tree Legal Assistance, an advocacy group for low-income Mainers, calls general assistance the state’s most basic safety net for people in danger of going hungry or becoming homeless.

When the program started, it was known as “home relief” and had specific guidelines. In later years, individual states were given broad discretion as to how much in benefits, or cash assistance, needed to be paid to adults without dependent children. Since the 1980s, states have sharply curtailed, and even eliminated, such aid because other programs at the federal level offer aid specifically to families with children.

Thus, general assistance has become one of the only subsidized programs offered to individuals without children. However, the most important caveat of general assistance is that it’s designed to be an emergency-only program

“General assistance is meant to be a stopgap for any number of hardships, whether it’s job loss or temporary help from someone recently released from prison,” said Judd Esty-Kendall, an attorney with Pine Tree Legal. “It’s not a long-term solution by any means.”

All 492 communities in Maine have a general assistance program, although they vary considerably in size. The state pays for 50 percent of what is administered to those in need, whether it’s a heating bill or a rent voucher. In some cases, where the need is especially high, the state pays 90 percent. The local municipality funds the rest.Everything is administered at the municipal level, usually at town offices. Potential clients come in, fill out an application and find out within 24 hours whether they will receive assistance. Applicants are asked to list all sources of income, all expenses, and whether they have any money in the bank or other noncash assets. They may apply only at the city or town where they live.

Since 1992, eligibility for GA has been set at 110 percent of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s fair market rent for a given area. A person whose income is below that value generally is eligible.

Most town clerks or deputy clerks are responsible for taking applications and ultimately decide an applicant’s fate. Tina Howes, Ellsworth’s deputy city clerk, is one of those deciders.

“Every year, the requirements change a little,” Howes said. “The need is up, but the number of people eligible for other programs, like food stamps, has gone up, too. If people are eligible for something other than general assistance [such as food stamps or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families], we steer them that way.”That said, applicants are not automatically denied if they receive other benefits, according to Howes. GA is apportioned in 30-day increments. Applicants need to reapply for additional assistance every 30 days. Most municipalities offer to pay bills directly rather than give individuals cash.

The state does not keep statistics on general assistance but rather allows each municipality to monitor its own programs. Not surprisingly, the numbers vary greatly from town to town and depend on need.

From July 2006 to July 2007, the city of Ellsworth granted $18,496 in general assistance to about 200 residents. Housing accounted for the majority of assistance with $12,082, meaning the city doled out that much for rent or mortgage, followed by electricity at $1,759, food assistance at $1,617 and heating at $1,500.

Nearby Dedham gave out only $269 to residents in general assistance last year, even though it budgeted $4,000.

The city of Brewer increased its allotment for general assistance by $20,000 in 2008, 25 percent over the previous year. In Old Town, residents approved an increase of 43 percent for the city’s general assistance budget.

In Bangor, rent or mortgage needs make up about 80 percent of general assistance. The city’s general assistance budget has increased steadily every year for the last several, from $848,000 in 2002 to more than $2 million last year.

Two years ago, the city of Bangor took steps to prevent landlords from taking advantage of holes in the city’s general assistance system. Some landlords apparently were subdividing apartments illegally and charging each tenant the maximum allowed rate.

Even from year to year, general assistance benefits fluctuate. Ellsworth, for instance, doled out $11,000 in 1976, a whopping $88,000 in 1991, only $7,000 in 2000 and back up to $23,000 for 2005-06. Howes said the discrepancies hinge on a number of variables but typically are tied to national economic trends.

Applicants are still sometimes eligible even if they own a home or car. Any other assets that can be turned into cash, such as second cars or ATVs, must be liquidated. Municipalities can offer information about local nonprofits and charities, but applicants are not required to seek help there.

In some states, general assistance programs are not universal, and the policies of different counties or cities may differ widely. In California, for instance, San Francisco once paid the most generous benefits in the state, but these were drastically reduced after Gavin Newsom was elected mayor of that city in 2003, on a controversial platform known as “Care Not Cash.”

Part 3 of the series, which examines the food stamp program, will run Monday, July 28.

erussell@bangordailynews.net

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