Welfare director reports sharp increase in demand for housing and utility assistance; seeks larger 2026 appropriation

Welfare Director Sue Gorman told the Board and Budget Advisory Committee that the town’s welfare caseload has grown substantially since 2023 and that requests for utility and housing assistance are driving the department’s requested 2026 budget of $235,370.

"It's not a handout. It's a hand up," Gorman said, describing the department’s approach of assessing income and allowable expenses and using referrals and state programs (SNAP, TANF, disability benefits) to help clients toward self‑sufficiency. She said utility‑assistance requests are up about 44% from 2024 and housing assistance requests have increased about 25% since 2023. Gorman highlighted the disproportionate impact on seniors on fixed incomes and on renters facing rising monthly rents.

Gorman described common interventions: short‑term rental payments calibrated to a client’s demonstrated shortfall, referrals to subsidized housing and employment training, and recovery efforts (liens, Social Security recovery) to recoup some of the town’s outlays when possible. She said cremation assistance, an occasionally used emergency line, has been unusually active this year.

Board members asked how much the department has spent year‑to‑date and about potential recoveries; Gorman said she expected the 2025 total to run about $10–15,000 over budget but expects some recoveries (including a lien on a property currently for sale).

The selectmen asked for continuing updates and for Gorman to provide supporting examples and documentation the BAC can use to evaluate the additional appropriation request.