Thank you to Hiawatha Bray for drawing attention to the end, on June 30, of the state’s moratorium on utility shutoffs (“Utility bills come due as moratorium expires,” Business, July 1).
There is an array of help available for those in danger of being left in the dark, but many families and seniors will not be aware of these resources or will have difficulty accessing them. Maybe they don’t have Internet access or don’t follow the news. Maybe they are just trying each day to keep food on the table, a roof over their heads, and, yes, the lights on. Our most vulnerable, low-income residents are forever at risk of falling through the cracks.
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Massachusetts could continue its good work in helping residents recover from the coronavirus pandemic by extending the utility shutoff moratorium and keeping the wolf from the door of the tens of thousands with arrearages due to lost jobs and other factors beyond their control following more than a year of unprecedented human and economic pain.
John J. Drew
President and CEO
Action for Boston Community Development
Boston
ABCD provides fuel assistance, including help paying utility bills related to heat, to more than 25,000 low-income households in the Boston and Mystic Valley areas.
