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Advocates, legal groups demand overhaul after chaotic ERAP rollout
Summary
Legal advocates and providers told the committee that DHS's in‑person ERAP launch in November left seniors, people with disabilities and many Spanish speakers excluded, and called for restored online access, more funding and transparent real‑time data.
Legal Counsel for the Elderly staff described an ERAP rollout at the Virginia Williams center that forced residents to stand outside for hours or to call phone lines that did not work. "On the extremely cold and dreary morning of 11/20/2025, residents were forced to line up for an opportunity to apply for benefits," Kyle Rush said, recounting clients turned away and people with mobility needs denied restrooms or ramps.
Sonny Desai added that the switch "with less than two weeks notice" from an online application to an appointment‑only process was predictable and preventable: "DHS replaced a long‑standing online application system with an appointment‑only process that forced residents to stand outside in the cold for hours or repeatedly calling phone lines that simply did not work." Witnesses urged immediate appointments for those turned away, restoration or redesign of the portal, better staffing for phone lines and a public ERAP dashboard with real‑time application and decision data. Several speakers also urged significantly larger ERAP funding to meet demand.
