Regional Housing Legal Services

What it reported doing in 2024

See schedule opulp's program service accomplishments for 2024-2025the Pennsylvania utility law project ("pulp") is a statewide legal services project of regional housing legal services and is a member program of the Pennsylvania legal aid network (plan). As the designated specialized project of the Pennsylvania legal aid network for utility issues, pulp's mission is to secure just and equitable access to utility services for pennsylvanians experiencing poverty.pulp's activities include: representing, as direct counsel or co-counsel, qualifying low-income residential utility customers and consumer groups comprised primarily of low-income pennsylvanians and/or that advocate on behalf of low-income pennsylvanians. Advocating for the interests of low-income utility consumers before the Pennsylvania public utility commission, the Pennsylvania department of human services, and other state and federal agencies that administer programs or have regulatory oversight on energy or utility matters affecting low-income pennsylvanians. Providing education, information, training, and support to social, legal, and housing service providers; non-profit community groups; low-income consumers; utilities; the regulatory community; and other stakeholders across Pennsylvania.key pulp accomplishments: impact litigationin the 2024-2025 fiscal year, pulp handled 47 high impact cases involving complex representation and litigation before the Pennsylvania public utility commission. We completed and closed 21 of those cases, and 26 remained in various stages of litigation at the end of the fiscal year. Pulp's impact litigation is focused on improving utility policies and procedures regarding rates, collections, and terminations, and expanding universal service program funding, assistance levels, and accessibility. Through this impact litigation, pulp secured more than $3,000,000 in additional emergency hardship fund grant assistance and leveraged an additional $16.7 million in increased funding for energy efficiency and weatherization assistance, including $2.2 million in ongoing annual investments. Our advocacy also helped to reduce proposed utility rate increases by $584 million annually, saving hundreds of dollars for hundreds of thousands of low income households each year.while difficult to quantify, pulp's impact advocacy resulted in numerous improvements to utility assistance program eligibility and benefits including reduction in the applicable energy burden standards for hundreds of thousands of low income customers across Pennsylvania, improvements to enrollment and retention in low income rate assistance programs, and elimination of barriers to enrollment. These program policy reforms will generate hundreds of millions of dollars in added rate relief to Pennsylvania's low income consumers. Individual representationpulp handled 424 individual cases through its emergency utility hotline. Pulp achieved substantial success for clients through individual representation leveraging approximately $379,154 in direct financial benefits to our clients through closed cases: prevented termination of service and/or assisted with reconnection in 278 cases. Removed barriers to enrollment in universal service programs in 215 cases. Helped clients to defer approximately $261,936 in utility debt for forgiveness over time. Removed approximately $7,751 in debts from client accounts. Eliminated $5,941 in fees and security deposits associated with reconnection. Obtained $103,526 in direct financial relief through grant assistance, refunds, and reduced debt.pulp also referred 394 low income pennsylvanians to other legal, health, and social service providers, and provided over 44 hours of free pro se assistance to self-represented individuals.training and technical assistancepulp hosted or presented at 53 trainings, reaching 2,941 attorneys, advocates, regulators, policymakers, and utility professionals across all regions of the state. We additionally distributed more

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 77.4%; rating input score 77
• Program expense ratio: 86.1%; rating input score 86
• Fundraising efficiency: $64.14 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Pass
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 10.5%; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.81; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.49; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 21.8%; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 7.6% per year; rating input score 100; 54th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 6.3% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 6.4% per year; rating input score 100; 42nd percentile among comparable filings