Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced the launch of a program that will deliver rapid relief to millions of Pennsylvanians at risk of eviction or loss of utility service. With federal funds allocated through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, the Wolf Administration built the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) in partnership with the General Assembly through Act 1 of 2021 to distribute about $569 million to Pennsylvania households through partnerships with local leaders. An additional $278 million in rental assistance was directly allocated to Pennsylvania’s largest counties by the federal government.

“With thousands of COVID-19 vaccines administered to Pennsylvanians every day, we are starting to see the light at the end of this year-long tunnel. But we must remain focused on the fact that so many of our neighbors are still struggling to cope with the pandemic’s economic fallout,” Governor Wolf said. “Millions of Pennsylvania households are less financially secure today than they were a year ago because a pandemic stole jobs and income from Pennsylvania workers. The ERAP is designed to provide housing security and utility assistance for these families and individuals so that they can focus on caring for their loved ones, getting back to work and healing from this traumatic experience.”

Pennsylvanians can submit applications for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program online at www.compass.state.pa.us. Forty-seven counties have opted to collect applications from county residents through the COMPASS website provided by the Department of Human Services (DHS). DHS will route applications submitted through COMPASS directly to counties for processing.

The online application is available in English and Spanish. Applicants can also download and print an application or obtain an application from their county ERAP office.  DHS has also translated the paper application into Russian, Vietnamese, Arabic, Chinese and Cambodian and made those available to all participating counties.

Twenty counties have opted to accept applications from county residents through their own application process. However, residents of all counties can visit COMPASS for information on how to apply for ERAP, including residents of counties that have developed their own process. If a person tries to apply through COMPASS but indicates that they reside in one of the 20 counties with its own application, they will be provided with information about how to apply, including a link to the county application if available.

“The Department of Human Services designed this program to quickly and efficiently get help to people who need it. We stand ready to work with our partners in every Pennsylvania county to make this program a success,” DHS Secretary Teresa Miller said. “I encourage all Pennsylvania families and individuals struggling with rent and utility bills to apply for assistance through ERAP.”

Households may be eligible for up to 12 months of assistance to cover past-due or future rental and/or utility payments. The amount of a household’s monthly rent or utility bills does not preclude eligibility, but the amount of ERAP assistance provided to a household is determined by program administrators at the county level.

Assistance can be provided to a tenant for future rental payments, and for unpaid rental or utility arrears that were accrued on or after March 13, 2020 on a residential rental property. Counties may choose to provide additional assistance to eligible households if funds remain available.

Residential tenants can apply for themselves, or a landlord/utility provider can apply on behalf of a current tenant. Additionally, landlords do not have to agree to participate in the program for tenants to receive assistance.

To qualify for assistance, a household must be responsible to pay rent on a residential property and meet each of the following criteria:

• One or more people within the household has qualified for unemployment benefits, had a decrease in income, had increased household costs, or experienced other financial hardship due directly or indirectly to the COVID-19 pandemic; AND
• One or more individuals in the household can show a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability; AND
• The household has an income at or below 80 percent of area median income, which varies by county. Income limits by county are available on the DHS website. Resources (like bank accounts and cars) are not relevant to ERAP eligibility.

Applicants will need to provide the following information: head of household’s personal information; income information for all household members 18 and older; rental lease and amount owed; landlord’s name and contact information. If applying for utility assistance, applicants must provide utility expenses and utility provider information.

Applicants should be prepared to provide documents that substantiate information provided, such as pay stubs, tax filings, unemployment letters, and rental/utility arrears. However, if applicants do not have documents, county ERAP offices will work with applicants to obtain documents or written attestations.

The program will end when all funds have been expended, which DHS expects to happen by September 2021. Per Act 1 of 2021, all funds must be spent by December 31, 2021.

More information about ERAP can be found at www.dhs.pa.gov.

Pennsylvania Governor’s Wolf Administration’s Opioid Command Center announced the availability of the Statewide Naloxone Allocation Request Portal. The portal allows eligible organizations serving high-risk populations the ability to request additional naloxone nasal spray.

“We are committed to ensuring that naloxone is widely available to help those with the disease of addiction,” Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said. “Naloxone has one role, and that is to save someone who is suffering from an overdose. It is essential that every Pennsylvanian consider obtaining naloxone to help save a life.”

This portal will supplement the Central Coordinating Entities’ (CCEs) efforts through the Naloxone for First Responders Program (NFRP) with a dedicated supply of naloxone focused on supporting distribution efforts to reach high-risk and high-need populations.

Eligible organizations must utilize naloxone provided through this portal to support one or more of the following priority populations:

• Individuals using Syringe Service Programs (SSPs) and harm reduction services;
• Individuals leaving state prisons and county jails;
• Individuals engaged in and/or leaving treatment or detox and those who are in recovery;
• Individuals who have experienced a nonfatal overdose; and/or
• Other high-risk populations identified by the organization (i.e., pregnant/post-partum women with a history of opioid use disorder, individuals experiencing homelessness, etc.).

“Naloxone has been a key component of battling the opioid epidemic in Pennsylvania,” said Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs Secretary Jen Smith. “The Wolf Administration has worked hard to ensure that all Pennsylvanians have access to naloxone. This portal will help ensure that we are able to fulfill the needs of the commonwealth’s more high-risk overdose populations, and ultimately save lives.”

Launched in 2017, the goal of the NFRP is to increase the availability of lifesaving medication for individuals at greatest risk of opioid overdose as well as the systems most likely to interact with these individuals. NFRP provides no-cost intranasal naloxone to priority first responder groups through a network of 48 CCEs. Since inception, CCEs have distributed more than 80,000 kits of NARCAN to first responder groups, resulting in more than 17,094 reported overdose reversals to date.

“PCCD remains committed to the distribution of naloxone throughout the state to prevent overdose deaths and save lives,” Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency Executive Director Michael Pennington said.  “Our agency will continue to work with our partners at the state and local levels to increase availability of this life-saving medication for individuals and communities with the greatest need.”

Additional naloxone efforts include the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s standing orders to make naloxone more accessible for the public, first responders, and last year, a standing order for community organizations to distribute naloxone through mail order. Additionally, the Wolf Administration has sponsored two public giveaway events as part of Stop Overdose in Pennsylvania: Get Help Now week, where nearly 10,000 kits of naloxone were distributed.

The Opioid Command Center, established in January 2018 when Gov. Wolf signed the first opioid disaster declaration, meets every week to discuss the opioid crisis. The command center is staffed by personnel from 17 state agencies and the Office of the Attorney General, spearheaded by the departments of Health and Drug and Alcohol Programs. Last year, the command center released a strategic plan highlighting accomplishments to date and providing a roadmap for the continued work to help those with substance use disorder.

Efforts over the past several years, working with state agencies, local, regional, and federal officials, have resulted in significant action to address the opioid crisis.

• Physician General  signed an updated naloxone standing order permitting community-based organizations to provide naloxone by mail.
• In September, DDAP announced the launch of Life Unites Us, an anti-stigma campaign, utilizing social media platforms to spread real-life stories of individuals and their family members battling substance use disorder, live and recorded webinars detailing tools and information necessary to effectively reduce stigma to more than 350 community-based organizations focused on SUD prevention, treatment, and recovery throughout Pennsylvania, and a web-based interactive data dashboard detailing the progress of the campaign.
• The Wolf Administration called on all Pennsylvanians to carry naloxone.
• The Prescription Drug Monitoring Program has reduced opioid prescriptions by 36.6 percent and has virtually eliminated doctor shopping.
• The number of people receiving high dosages of opioids (defined as greater than 90 morphine milligram equivalents per day) has dropped 58.6 percent since the PDMP launched in August 2016.
• The Opioid Data Dashboard and Data Dashboard 2.0 has provided public-facing data regarding prevention, rescue and treatment.
• Pennsylvania Coordinated Medication Assisted Treatment (PacMAT) programs are serving as part of a hub-and-spoke model to provide evidence-based treatment to people where they live. 8 PacMAT programs have served patients through this initiative.
• More than 45 Centers of Excellence, administered by the Department of Human Services, provide coordinated, evidence-based treatment to people with an opioid use disorder covered by Medicaid. The COEs have treated more than 32,500 people since first launching in 2016.
• The waiver of birth certificate fees for those with opioid use disorder has helped more than 6,090 people, enabling easier entry into recovery programs.
• A standing order signed by former Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine in 2018 allowed EMS to leave behind more than 2,400 doses of naloxone.
• Education has been provided to more than 9,500 prescribers through either online or face-to-face education.
• More than 880 drug take-back boxes help Pennsylvanians properly dispose of unwanted drugs, including 178,540 pounds of unwanted drugs in 2019. 2020 data is not yet available because of COVID.
• The Get Help Now Hotline received more than 49,000 calls, with more than half of all callers connected directly to a treatment provider.
• The state prison system has expanded their Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program, which is viewed as a model program for other states.
• A body scanner pilot project was successful in reducing overdoses and violent crime in a number of facilities. Body scanners are in place in more than 30 locations and are currently being expanded to additional facilities.
• Several agencies have worked together to collaborate on the seizure and destruction of illicit opioids across Pennsylvania.
• Education and training on opioids have been provided to schools. Future plans are in place to make opioid education a standard component of school-based training.
• The coordination with seven major commercial providers has expand access to naloxone and mental health care, while also working to make it more affordable.
• Naloxone has been made available to first responders through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency since November 2017, with more than 80,000 kits made available and more than 17,094 overdose reversals reported through the program. More than 6,600 of those saves occurred in 2019.
• EMS have administered more than 51,760 doses of naloxone and more than 10,000 doses were made available to members of the public during the state’s naloxone distribution in 2019.

More information on the opioid crisis can be found on the Department of Health’s website at health.pa.gov or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding encouraged business travelers to join more than 1.2 million people at 26,000-plus companies across the U.S. and Canada who have learned how to recognize Spotted Lanternflies and keep from giving the destructive pest a ride to a new home. A permit is required for business travel, regardless of type of cargo, since hitchhiking is the primary way the invasive insect spreads to new areas.

“Spotted Lanternflies don’t check to see what you’re transporting,” said Redding. “They hop on anything in their path and hitch a ride to a new home. It only takes one egg mass or one pregnant female insect to start an infestation. Ask anyone who lives in Southeast Pennsylvania — you don’t want this pest in your neighborhood, you certainly don’t want it dining on the crops that feed our economy, and you don’t want to be the business that brought it home.”

Last week, the department announced the addition of eight counties to Pennsylvania’s Spotted Lanternfly quarantine zone ahead of the 2021 spring hatch. In addition to special requirements for companies that produce or ship agricultural goods, the quarantine requires companies whose employees travel for business in and out of Cambria, Cameron, Franklin, Lackawanna, Montour, Pike, Wayne, Westmoreland counties as well as the 26 previously quarantined counties to have Spotted Lanternfly permits.

Obtaining a permit involves taking a brief online course to learn how to recognize the insect at every phase of its lifecycle and how to inspect vehicles and contents to prevent transporting the insect. Each company determines which of their employees should have a permit. A company with a permit can then tailor training specifically for inspecting the types of vehicles they use and the cargo they transport.

Businesses outside the agriculture industry whose employees have lanternfly permits include Pennsylvania state agencies and the legislature. A map and list of companies that have obtained permits, along with the number of business travelers represented, is on the department’s website, as well as information to help businesses determine who is required to have a permit.

“Human travelers pose the biggest risk when it comes to spreading Spotted Lanternflies,” Redding said. “To protect our quality of life, our businesses like stadiums and restaurants that depend on their customers enjoying the outdoors, and the tens of thousands of jobs that depend on agriculture, we must all do our parts. If you run a business in the quarantine zone or travel to and from the quarantine zone for work, get a permit. Learn how you can keep from spreading this destructive pest.”

Counties added to the quarantine in 2020 and 2021 have isolated insect populations, as opposed to widespread infestations. In many instances, it is clear the insects got there by hitchhiking, since they do not travel great distances on their own. Transportation corridors, such as major highways, railways, trucking centers and tourist destinations, have been a top priority in the strategy the department and the USDA have followed in efforts to control the spread of the insect.

Quick, aggressive treatment of newly identified Spotted Lanternfly populations in Pennsylvania has been funded through the Rapid Response Disaster Readiness line of Governor Tom Wolf’s Pennsylvania Farm Bill for the past two years. The 2021-22 PA Farm Bill proposes another $3 million to combat Spotted Lanternfly.

Since 2015, the department has received more than $34 million to combat Spotted Lanternfly in Pennsylvania – $20 million in federal funds and another $14 million in state investment. The department also awarded more than $260,000 in January for four priority research projects. These investments have funded the work of researchers learning how to control the insect in an environment where it doesn’t belong, as well as the work of those putting the research into practice and preventing its spread.

For more information on Spotted Lanternfly, visit agriculture.pa.gov/spottedlanternfly. For more about Governor Wolf’s PA Farm Bill investments in a sustainable agriculture industry visit agriculture.pa.gov/pafarmbill.

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced today a major clean energy initiative that will produce nearly 50 percent of state government’s electricity through seven new solar energy arrays totaling 191-megawatts to be built around the state. Part of the governor’s GreenGov initiative, Pennsylvania PULSE (Project to Utilize Light and Solar Energy) will go into operation on January 1, 2023. The project is the largest solar commitment by any government in the U.S. announced to date.

The departments of General Services, Environmental Protection, and Conservation and Natural Resources will hold a virtual news conference at 11:00 AM today. Reporters need to RSVP for this media briefing. Please email dklenotic@pa.gov and provide the reporter’s name and media outlet who wishes to receive connection information and attend the virtual briefing. The event may be viewed live at https://pacast.com/live/dgs and on DEP’s Facebook page.

“In issuing the GreenGov challenge, I charged state government with leading by example in demonstrating sustainable governance and lowering greenhouse gas emissions to reduce the risks of climate change in Pennsylvania,” Governor Wolf said. “This included significantly reducing energy use and pursuing an ambitious goal of obtaining at least 40 percent of electricity from clean energy generated in state. I commend General Services for their GreenGov leadership in not only meeting this goal but exceeding it.

“Pennsylvania has been a national energy leader for more than one hundred years. As we continue to diversify our grid with clean renewable sources of energy, we want to maintain Pennsylvania’s leadership position and bring the associated economic, health and environmental benefits to all Pennsylvanians. As Pennsylvania’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard – which has driven solar and renewable development for the past decade and a half – sunsets at the end of May, we need more of the innovative, resourceful thinking demonstrated in this project to keep the market for clean renewable energy strong in the commonwealth.”

Solar arrays will be built in seven locations in six counties: Columbia, Juniata, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder and York. When completed, the total 191-megawatt project is expected to deliver 361,000 megawatt-hours of electricity per year, supplying 100 percent of electricity for 434 accounts across 16 state agencies, or about half the electricity used by state government. The solar project will create 400-plus jobs and begin lowering carbon dioxide emissions statewide by 157,800 metric tons each year – the equivalent of the emissions from nearly 27,000 homes or taking 34,000 cars off the roads.

General Services contracted with Constellation, a Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission-licensed electric generation supplier, to secure a 15-year fixed-price supply agreement. Serving as a technical advisor on the purchase, the Penn State Facilities Engineering Institute coordinated an innovative retail approach.

“Pennsylvania PULSE reflects our commitment to making renewable energy the heart of DGS energy strategy,” said General Services Secretary Curt Topper. “The contract with Constellation provides us with long-term price protection and budget certainty, while the retail purchase model coordinated by the Penn State Facilities Engineering Institute is groundbreaking in enabling us to obtain an in-state solar energy supply for over 400 accounts with administrative and fiscal simplicity. We’re excited to have this new model in place as we work toward more clean energy use in the future.”

The Solar Renewable Energy Credits, or SRECs, generated by the project will be retired upon purchase by the commonwealth, ensuring that such SRECs cannot be used for compliance or voluntary purposes by any other entity, thereby preserving the existing SREC market.

Lightsource bp will build, own and operate the solar arrays, creating hundreds of new construction jobs for Pennsylvanians and bringing long term economic benefits to local communities through increased tax revenues. The arrays will be constructed and operated to meet industry leading standards for low-environmental-impact solar siting and design.

“Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is crucial to slowing climate change and protecting our health and safety, environment, and economy,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “With over 85 percent of Pennsylvania’s greenhouse gas emissions coming from energy production and use, pursuing clean energy and energy efficiency at the enterprise scale, as the state government solar procurement demonstrates, will make a big impact. At the same time, research shows the clean energy sector is a leading creator of quality jobs in Pennsylvania, bringing positive economic impacts as well.”

Clean energy industries added nearly 7,800 jobs in Pennsylvania in 2017-2019, for an 8.7 percent average job growth rate, significantly exceeding the average overall job growth in the state, according to the 2020 Pennsylvania Clean Energy Employment report.

Governor Wolf’s Climate Change Executive Order in 2019 set a goal of lowering Pennsylvania’s greenhouse gas emissions 26 percent by 2025 and 80 percent by 2050 compared with 2005 levels. It re-established the Green Government Council, co-chaired by the Departments of General Services, Environmental Protection, and Conservation and Natural Resources.

“DCNR is proud to co-chair Governor Wolf’s PA GreenGov Council and we congratulate DGS for laying the groundwork and providing the leadership that shaped today’s historic event,” said DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. “As the state’s conservation leader, we demonstrated our commitment to wise energy-use 40 years ago with the first installation of a solar array. We now have 17 such installations throughout the state; a vehicle fleet that steadily is moving toward electric conversion; and construction and maintenance guidelines that promote solid energy conservation. We truly are excited by this initiative and how it will benefit our commitment to the future.”

The GreenGov Council is charged with developing strategies to ensure that state government plays a lead role in greenhouse gas emissions reduction. Goals include obtaining at least 40 percent of electricity from in-state clean energy sources; reducing energy use at least 3 percent annually; replacing 25 percent of the state vehicle fleet with electric vehicles; and attaining energy high-performance standards in building construction, lease, or renovation. The Council recently released its second annual report, outlining progress towards these goals in 2020.

The 2020 Pennsylvania Climate Impacts Assessment documents that Pennsylvania’s average state temperature has climbed nearly 2° F since 1901, and the state average annual rainfall has increased about 10 percent, while extreme weather events have increased. It’s projected that by mid-century, every county will be 4.9° F hotter than in 2000, while average rainfall continues to increase 8-12 percent, unless greenhouse gas emissions are reduced.

Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and Human Services Secretary Teresa Miller highlighted an opportunity for farmers markets to address food security in their local communities and expand their consumer base by taking advantage of free electronic benefit transfer equipment to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from residents.

“Farmers markets who don’t accept SNAP are missing an opportunity to serve their community by providing those who rely on the benefits with access to nutritious, local food,” said Redding. “Not only does accepting SNAP benefit your community, but it benefits you. It’s an opportunity to expand your consumer base and increase your sales.”

The Department of Human Services has been awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to support access to fresh, healthy foods for SNAP recipients while supporting Pennsylvania’s agricultural economy. Interested market owners should apply to be an authorized SNAP retailer through FNS. Once authorized to accept SNAP, vendors can contact Pennsylvania’s electronic benefit transfer (EBT) provider Conduent at 1-888-736-6328 to request free wireless EBT processing equipment. The grant also covers set-up costs and one year of SNAP transaction fees.

“Becoming an authorized SNAP retailer is a common-sense way to help small businesses grow their consumer base and to support families so they can keep food on the table. SNAP is the nation’s most important and effective anti-hunger program; it helps individuals and families stretch their budgets, reduces the burden on local charitable food networks, and supports local retailers and grocers,” said DHS Secretary Teresa Miller. “We want to do everything we can to help families who are feeling this economic strain most acutely and small businesses that have had to weather the last year of economic uncertainty, which is why we are so proud to offer this opportunity. I strongly encourage farmers markets across Pennsylvania to apply to be an authorized SNAP retailer.”

Pennsylvania is home to more nearly 1,000 farmers markets and on-farm markets, however only 48 – less than 5% – are registered with FNS to accept SNAP benefits. By taking advantage of the opportunity for free EBT equipment to accept SNAP through the Department of Human Services, farmers markets can offer a new avenue for Pennsylvanians who rely on SNAP to spend their benefits on fresh, nutritious food. For farmers markets operators, there is no difference in accepting SNAP than accepting debit or credit transactions and SNAP benefits cover the full price that any consumer would pay at market for products.

“Throughout the pandemic, Managers of farmers markets and on-farm markets who redeem SNAP benefits have reported their redemption numbers have, in most cases, double from previous years,” said Brian Moyer, executive director of the Pennsylvania Farmers Market Association. “This reflects the critical role that these markets play as an essential source of food and nutrition in our communities and the wireless EBT equipment makes SNAP redemption easier to use for outdoor community farmers markets.”

Farmers markets who operate in urban areas or other known food deserts across the commonwealth, or those who operate with a mobile market model, have an especially unique opportunity to fill a void and address food apartheid’s that have developed leaving residents who rely on stores within walking distance minimal options for fresh, nutritious food outside of the shelf stable options found in convenience stores. By accepting SNAP, urban or traveling markets can address inequities of the food system and improve health for those who live there.

Families who are having trouble affording enough food are encouraged to take advantage of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Formerly known as food stamps, SNAP provides assistance to low-income and working Pennsylvanians, allowing them to purchase produce and groceries for themselves and their family.

SNAP helps more than 1.8 million Pennsylvanians, including children, people with disabilities, older adults, and working Pennsylvanians, expand purchasing power to ensure their household has enough food to avoid going hungry.

SNAP is issued through a monthly payment to an electronic benefit transfer card, and benefits are based off income and household size. People can apply for SNAP and other public assistance programs online at www.compass.state.pa.us or over the phone by calling 1-866-550-4355. Those who prefer to submit a paper application can print from the website, pick one up at a County Assistance Office (CAO), or request an application by phone at 1-800-692-7462 and mail it to their local CAO or place it in a CAO’s secure drop box, if available. You do not need to know your own eligibility in order to apply. While CAOs remain closed, work processing applications, determining eligibility, and issuing benefits continues. Clients should use COMPASS or the MyCOMPASS PA mobile app to submit necessary updates to their case files while CAOs are closed to the public.

For more information on food security in Pennsylvania including information about resources and actions taken by the Wolf Administration, visit agriculture.pa.gov/foodsecurity.

Substance use is a significant public health issue in rural communities. The opioid epidemic in particular continues to have a devastating impact in rural areas disproportionately affected by a lack of infrastructure to provide treatment for substance and opioid use disorders.

Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), often the hubs of local systems of care, can play an important role in addressing substance use disorders.  This webinar, featuring Flex Monitoring Team (FMT) member John Gale, makes the case for why CAHs should address substance use, provides a framework to support CAHs in doing so, and describes examples of substance use activities undertaken by CAHs to substantiate the framework.