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The basic responsibilities of the Human Services Department are outlined in RSA 165:1 and states that “Whenever a person in any town is poor and unable to support himself, he shall be relieved and maintained by the overseers of public welfare of such town, whether or not he has a residence there”. Unlike State and Federal Assistance that have limited responsibilities and more time to process applications, the Town has greater short term responsibilities. The majority of residents that approach the Town for assistance are in an emergency situation and need
shelter, heat, power or food that day.
RSA 165 provides a set of minimum standards that must be met to assist a resident. The local Human Services Department is often the only assistance that will help residents out of an emergency situation. The Town of Plaistow focuses on assisting residents in rebuilding their lives. Through case management, the Town is able to aid residents in restoring themselves to an independent status, often renewing their outlook on life and rejuvenating their desire to begin the rebuilding process.
The duties that are outlined in RSA 165 are considerable but are not boundless. A person applying for assistance must meet a set of guidelines for assistance. The Board of Selectmen approves the guidelines each year, most recently in July of 2007. Clear guidelines can avoid misunderstanding in decisions rendered. The guidelines exist to prevent arbitrary decisions, yet remain flexible so that special needs, such as medical situations, are considered. The Board of Selectmen also approves allowable levels each year, most recently in October of 2007. Allowable levels are reviewed yearly to insure that the needs of the applicant are met and the numbers used are not artificially low.
The basic formula that Human Services Coordinators use is: basic need - income/available assets = the amount of assistance. The need formula is applied to a household as a whole. When a household is approved for assistance, a voucher is used to pay for rent, heat, electric or food. Cash is never given from the Town to an applicant. Local assistance involves looking at the whole picture. It is designed to assist a household through a difficult circumstance and return the household to self sufficiency. It is the Human Services Coordinator who leads the applicants on a path to personal and financial renewal.
Many people are not aware that the assistance the Town provides to residents is not an outright grant. Under RSA 165:20-b, a resident is expected to repay the assistance they received when they return to an income status that allows this to be possible without creating a financial hardship. If the resident owns property in Town, a lien is placed on the property until the funds are returned to the Town. Since May of 2005, the Town has recovered $19,082 in assistance previously provided.
The cost of living in Southern New Hampshire continues to rise. The New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority reports that Rockingham County has the highest monthly median Gross Rental Costs in the State. A family of five living in Plaistow, in a four bedroom apartment, could expect their basic necessities of food, shelter electric and oil heat to total $2,631 before car payments, insurance, health care and general household expenses are added.
The NH Occupational Employment & Wages Survey reports that the Exeter/Seabrook area entry level wage is $9.34 per hour. When both adults in the household are employed, this family is making $3148.80 per month. If someone falls ill and is unable to work, this same family is reduced to an income of $1,574.40 and is not able to cover the basic necessities.
It has been another busy year for the Human Services Department assisting residents. Requests for financial assistance continue to remain steady, with support provided for rent, heat, electric, food and other basic maintenance needs.
In 2007, 366 residents made contact with the Human Services Department, 51 were granted assistance and 193 were referred to public and private agencies for assistance.
Requests for financial assistance continue to increase, with support provided for rent, heat, electric, food and other basic maintenance needs. In 2007, the Town of Plaistow budgeted $58,184 and spent $32,894.
In addition to administering the general assistance budget, I oversee annual Town contributions to area organizations. These organizations are a valuable asset to all residents in Plaistow. Many of these organizations offer free or income-based services. Each agency is asked to submit an application for review in the fall. Through this multi-question application and personal interaction, I determine my recommendation to continue, increase or decrease funding. The services provided by these organizations are available to all residents. For more information please see The Human Services Department page on www.plaistow.com.
I express my thanks and admiration to the many individual citizens and organized groups who continue to serve this community unselfishly. Renewal is the restoration of something that is faded or disintegrating. Due to you donations of time, money, services and goods, you restore the faded “American Dream” for many families.
Respectfully submitted,
Nicole Carr
Human Services Coordinator
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