New Orleans residents attend utility assistance event for help with power bills - WDSU New Orleans

IN OTHER NEWS, IT’S A PROBLEM PEOPLE BATTLE ALL SUMMER LONG AND CONTINUE TO DEAL WITH AS YOU HEAD INTO THE HOLIDAY SEASON. WE’RE TALKING SKY HIGH ENERGY BILLS. WDSU HAS BROUGHT YOU EXTENSIVE COVERAGE ON THIS ISSUE. FOR MONTHS, THE ENTERGY MORATORIUM ENDED YESTERDAY. SO TODAY, A LINE WAS WRAPPED AROUND JOE BROWN PARK IN NEW ORLEANS EAST WITH PEOPLE SEEKING HELP. WELL, WDSU REPORTER ARIELLE BRUMFIELD IS LIVE AT JOE BROWN PARK AND TODAY’S EVENT IS OVER. BUT MORE EVENTS TO COME, RIGHT? ARIELLE. THAT’S EXACTLY RIGHT. TODAY’S EVENT WRAPPED UP AROUND 3:00. BUT TOMORROW THERE WILL BE ANOTHER EVENT HERE FROM 9 A.M. TO 3 P.M. IF YOU’RE STILL IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE. MANY OF THE FOLKS I TALKED TO EARLIER TODAY SAY THEY’VE SEEN THEIR BILLS SURGE INTO THE THOUSANDS. AND AT THIS POINT, IT’S FORCING THEM TO CHOOSE BETWEEN GROCERIES AND KEEPING THEIR LIGHTS ON. I’M ONE PERSON AND I LIVED IN A TINY HOUSE AND I WANT TO KNOW HOW MY BILLS. $200 A MONTH. JASMINE TINGLE MOVED TO NEW ORLEANS A YEAR AGO, AND LIKE MANY PEOPLE, SHE WAS BLINDSIDED BY HOW MUCH SHE HAS TO PAY TOWARD HER ENTERGY BILL. INCREASINGLY, HIGH UTILITY BILLS HAVE ROCKED NEW ORLEANS FAMILIES FOR MONTHS, AND IT’S BEEN VERY TOUGH TAKING CARE OF KIDS BILLS AND NECESSITY THAT WE ALWAYS HAD FOR A THREE MONTH WORTH OF BILLS. $2,000. THERE, THREE MONTHS. THAT’S MY BILL. PORTIA JOHNSON IS A MOTHER OF SIX. THIS IS NOT HER FIRST TIME GETTING UTILITY ASSISTANCE. BUT SHE SAYS AS SOON AS THE BILL WAS WIPED, IT WENT RIGHT BACK UP, FORCING HER KIDS TO GO WITHOUT. THEY NEED AND THEY WANT. AND I CAN’T GET IT BECAUSE I’M TRYING TO GET EVERYTHING ELSE DONE IN THE MIX. IT’S KIND OF HOW IT WHEN YOU HAVE A HOUSEHOLD AND YOU HAVE TO DETERMINE WHETHER YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE FOOD ON YOUR TABLE VERSUS HAVING LIGHTS ON. THAT’S A HARD DECISION. ORGANIZERS SAY TO DATE, 3300 FAMILIES WERE ASSISTED AND $3 MILLION WERE ALLOCATED. AND THEY SAY THEY CAN PAY PAST DUE BALANCES UP TO A YEAR. THIS ASSISTANCE IS COVID RELIEF FUNDS AND ONLY FOR RENTERS. AND IF YOU CAN’T MAKE IT OUT THURSDAY, YOU STILL HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE. WE’RE TELLING EVERYONE, EVEN IF YOU STILL NEED ASSISTANCE AFTER ON THURSDAY, THEY STILL COULD COME TO OUR OFFICE ON POYDRAS STREET. IT IS VERY HELPFUL BECAUSE ONCE YOU GET IT DOWN, THAT CAN START FROM A CLEAN SLATE TO TRY TO KEEP IT DOWN. AND JUST LIKE YOU HEARD FROM THE EVENT ORGANIZER, IF YOU CAN’T COME TOMORROW FROM 9 A.M. TO 3 P.M., YOU CAN GO TO THEIR OFFICE ON POYDRAS FOR ASSISTANCE. BUT YOU HAVE TO GO NEXT WEEK. AND AGAIN, THIS ASSISTANCE IS ONLY FOR RENTERS REPORTING AT JOE BROWN PARK. I’M ARIELLE BRUMFIELD, WDSU NEWS. SOME GOOD INFORMATION. ARIELLE, THANK YOU SO MUCH. REALLY APPRECIATE IT. AND IF YOU’RE HEADING TO JOE BROWN PARK TOMORROW, MAKE SURE YOU BRING YOUR ENTERGY PASS TO BILL. I’D PROOF OF EMPLOYMENT AND PROOF OF RESIDENCE