PA 211 Appropriations Request - 2025 - 2026 : simplebooklet.com

UNITED IS THE WAY OVERVIEWEvery day, individuals and families contact 211 for help connecting to local and statewideresources they can use to overcome challenges and stabilize through crisis. Whether they arecalling for connections to food assistance, counseling services, health care, housing and utilitypayment assistance, disaster recovery, employment and education services, veteran services, orchildcare or caretaker services, when they reach out, there is a knowledgeable, andexperienced Resource Navigator to take that call and help provide guidance through alabyrinth of resources. It is this person-to-person connection, neighbor to neighbor, that is thecore of PA 211, enabled by the vast database of over 100,000 resources. Since 2017, PA 211 has been available statewide, 24/7/365, providing access to state and localsupports, including publicly and privately funded services, for any need. In calendar year 2024,PA 211 engaged in 224,920 interactions (calls, texts, chats, etc), which resulted in 679,400referrals. In addition, those in need sought help by conducting approximately 1.6 millionsearches on pa211.org. Funded mainly through local support, this local investment is atestament to the importance communities place on the personal connections and self-serviceoptions provided by PA 211 everyday. In addition to the daily work, PA 211 is always prepared to respond to emergent communityneeds, especially during and after disasters. In 2024 alone, PA 211 was mobilized five times bystate and local authorities to help communities recover from flooding, tornados, snowstorms,and other impacts. In total, PA 211 facilitated coordinated intake process for over 2,171 residentsof seven counties meeting them person to person, with calm and compassion, during their timeof crisis.PA 211 is a flexible and scalable platform for other local and statewide special projects. Forexample, during the 2024 tax season, PA 211 scheduled Voluntary Income Tax Assistance (VITA)program appointments for 24,970 households. VITA results in improved tax filing rates, withtaxpayers receiving skilled support to secure all the tax credits and benefits they are eligible for.This often leads to tax refunds which are re-invested in the local economy to meet householdneeds.

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UNITED IS THE WAY In FY 2022-2023, PA 211 was awarded a one-time grant of $4 million dollars, in addition to thehistorical state appropriation of $750,000. Some of this funding was used for technologicalimprovements that resulted in a statewide CRM system that improves PA 211's capabilities toprovide high quality service consistently across the state, respond to natural disasters, andshare data. PA 211 developed a chat translation tool which allows individuals who use web chatto communicate seamlessly in more than 75 languages. The other investment enabled by the $4 million grant was in PA 211's people resources, as moreresource navigators were hired to provide connection and be the reassuring voice with expertresource navigation skills to help empower Pennsylvanians to address their own needs. Duringthis period of increased capacity, 211 was able to reduce wait times by approximately 8minutes, allowing us to speak with more callers and reduce abandonment rates from 42% to29%. Simply put, over the two years that PA 211 spent this grant, thousands morePennsylvanians were served, thanks to our people and technology investments, much morequickly than in any year prior. In 2025, PA 211 relies on diverse revenues including special projects, community support, localUnited Way investment, state government funding, nonprofit partner in-kind contributions, anddonations. Commonwealth investment accounts for a little less than 10% of the total revenuePA 211 receives annually. At the same time, local United Ways and nonprofit partners contributenearly 20% of the revenue while each community faces its challenges with housing, childcareaccess, food insecurity, transportation, and basic needs access. PA 211 clients have themisfortune of encountering unmet needs due to a variety of reasons including lack of resourcesin rural areas, increasing rent and utility costs and shortage of homeless prevention or evictiondiversion services. Unmet needs could be better addressed by freeing up flexible nonprofitfunds to meet these gaps, and using additional Commonwealth investment in PA 211 to reducedisparities and assure the service remains available to all constituents. In the current budget year, local United Ways are contributing 80% more than theCommonwealth for PA 211 operations. Unfortunately, those contributions are not equal acrossthe board and some regions are better-funded than others. These PA 211 resource disparitiesfollow the pattern of other shortages in rural communities with fewer funders and donors. Theoriginal intent of the PA 211 line item in the Commonwealth budget was to bring the service toevery county in the Commonwealth.OVERVIEW (continued)

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UNITED IS THE WAY To address this and support PA 211 as the foundation of other strategic initiatives thathelp with disasters and economic opportunity, PA 211 needs additional financial supportfrom the Commonwealth. The data presented herein and available at www.pa211.org demonstrates that above andbeyond the power of connection, PA 211 is also the most publicly accessible data set thatillustrates real-time needs in all of the commonwealth’s communities. Whether it ishousing needs, food insecurity, utility assistance, or household essentials, PA 211 takes aholistic approach to helping every client. As PA 211 Resource Navigators assist with more complex requests, and the number ofpeople reaching out to them increases daily, we are presented with a capacity challengethat left unaddressed will have detrimental consequences for individuals and families,and by association, entire communities. Accordingly, United Way of PA is requestingthe General Assembly to increase PA 211's state appropriation to $2.5 million toaddress call wait times and abandon rates across the whole state, secure the ongoingavailability of this service in rural areas, and allow nonprofits to quantify and addressunmet needs.OVERVIEW (continued)

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Interactions VITA SchedulingWeb Searches20240500,0001,000,0001,500,0002,000,000224,9201,668,7061,918,596UNITED IS THE WAY INTERACTIONS IN 2024In calendar year 2024, PA 211 engaged in 249,890 interactions, which includes calls,texts and chats. In addition, those in need sought help by conducting approximately1,668,706 searches using the PA 211 online database. In total, about 1.9 millionPennsylvanians sought help from PA 211 in 2025. 2024 PA 211 Total EngagementsInteractions for 2024 also included 24,970 Volunteer Income Tax Assistance schedulingcalls. Currently, PA 211 conducts VITA scheduling in five-out-of-seven regions - East,Northwest, South Central, Southeast, and Southwest. VITA programs are operated by eithercommunity partners or local United Ways.

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Calls Texts Chats OtherJanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00017,55415,09816,11822,29018,50418,96222,61322,39018,63018,93015,85817,973Includes emails, social media/online, walk-in, letter/US Post, outbound phone, community/communityorganization meeting, and unspecified.Calls TextsChats179,235 22,152 6,331Other2,237UNITED IS THE WAY Volume of Interactions by Mode of Contact (2024)Interactions by Mode of ContactThe primary modes of contact by which a client can reach PA 211 continue to be call, text, andchat. For many clients, web searches have become immensely popular as well. In 2024, PA 211contact centers were also engaged in a variety of new ways by clients who sought helpincluding email, social media/online, walk-in, letter/US Post, and in the community at an eventor meeting.INTERACTIONS IN 2024 (continued)

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UNITED IS THE WAY INTERACTIONS IN 2024 (continued)Volunteer Income Tax Assistance SchedulingFor individuals who make $67,000 or less, personswith disabilities, and limited English-speakingtaxpayers, the Volunteer Income Assistance (VITA)Program offers basic tax preparation services. Since2023, PA 211 has been offering statewide VITAscheduling services, however, some contact centershave engaged in scheduling for many years at boththe county and regional levels. In 2024, PA 211 scheduled 24,970 appointments withthe largest number of appointments scheduled inLancaster (8,377) and Allegheny (6,736) Counties. Intotal, PA 211 VITA scheduling led to a total of$35,382,490 in refunds in 2024 to eligible filers. Theaverage filer received a refund of about $1,427.29from a PA 211 scheduled VITA appointment in 2024.$35,382,490in total refunds from PA 211 VITAscheduling in 2024$1,427.29The average refundan eligible filer receivedfrom a PA 211 scheduledappointment in 2024For low-income working families especially, VITA connects eligible recipients with vital taxcredits such as the federal Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit, and the Child andDependent Care Tax Credit. For these households, tax credits can significantly reduce taxliability and enhance refunds, which are used to pay for basic needs and offset living expenses.

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UNITED IS THE WAY 2024 PA 211 Interactions (by region)INTERACTIONS IN 2024 (continued)CentralEastNortheastNorthwestSouth CentralSoutheastSouthwest0,00010,00020,00030,00040,00050,00060,00070,0004,95140,83225,3268,81220,58746,92269,657On a region-by-region basis,interaction volume differsbased on the footprint andpopulation density eachregion covers. Theinteractions also reflectcommunity awareness, whichis highly correlated with localsupport - in the form of bothdollars and promotion of theservice. The service is alsolongest-established in theSouthwest, Southeast andEast regions, whereas servicedid not launch for the fullNorthwest region until 2017,enabled by the first PA 211state appropriation. Interactions By RegionWASHINGTONSUSQUEHANNAADAMSGREENEWAYNEPIKEHUNTINGDONYORKLANCASTERERIECRAWFORDWARRENMcKEANPOTTERCAMERONCLEARFIELDJEFFERSONCLARIONVENANGOFORESTELKMERCERLAWRENCEBEAVERFAYETTESOMERSETCAMBRIAINDIANAARMSTRONGBUTLERALLEGHENYWESTMORELANDTIOGABRADFORDMONROELACKAWANNAWYOMINGLUZERNESULLIVANCOLUMBIAMONTOURNORTHUMBERLANDSNYDERUNIONCLINTONLYCOMINGCENTREBLAIRBEDFORDFULTONMIFFLINJUNIATAPERRYLEBANONBUCKSFRANKLINCUMBERLANDDAUPHINBERKSSCHUYLKILLLEHIGHNORTHAMPTONCARBONMONTGOMERYCHESTERDELAWAREPHILADELPHIAPA 211 REGIONAL CONTACT CENTERS

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UNITED IS THE WAY Referrals from interactions - calls, texts, and chats - were 679,440, and from VITAscheduling were 24,970, for a total of 704,410 referrals in 2024. As is typically the case,housing and shelter saw the highest level of referrals, 289,282, and utility assistance was thesecond highest at 165,331. The chart below identifies the number of referrals for the topidentified needs in 2024. REFERRALS IN 2024HousingUtilitiesFoodMaterial GoodsLegal ServicesTemporary Financial AssistanceEmploymentHealth CareMental Health Assessment/Treatment050,000100,000150,000200,000250,000300,000289,282165,33146,47226,86622,82122,49310,6359,4519,323Number of Referrals for Top Identified Needs Categories 2024

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UNITED IS THE WAY REFERRALS IN 2024 (continued)Within each referral category are subcategories for specific services. For example, within thehousing category, there are eight subcategories with a variety of specific supports and serviceslisted within each. While housing supports and services led referrals overall, clients interactedwith PA 211 for a variety of needs. Top Identified Needs and Referrals 2024Rent Payment AssistanceElectric Service Payment AssistanceLow Income/Subsidized Private Rental HousingFood PantriesCommunity SheltersHousing Related Coordinated EntryUndesignated Temporary Financial AssistanceGas Service Payment AssistanceHousing Search AssistanceUtility Disconnection Protection020,00040,00060,00080,000100,00092,72492,49444,46836,09233,18228,96122,39419,52015,77514,038

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UNITED IS THE WAY Housing Utilities Food Temp. Financial AssistanceSupport Services Material Goods Mental HealthLegal Services Health Care EmploymentCentralEastNortheastNorthwestSouth CentralSoutheastSouthwest050,000100,000150,000200,00075,06619,57933,17543,97156,35041,57268,60966,144REFERRALS IN 2024 (continued)Most regions follow the statewide trend of housing, utilities, and food being the top needsrequests. However, the Central and Northwest regions have other needs that fall into the topthree needs. Likewise, some regions have top categorical needs that are different from the restof the regions. For all regions, housing receives the most referrals, except for in the Northwestwhere utilities are the most referred services.Number of Referrals for Top Identified Needs Categories by Region

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UNITED IS THE WAY UNMET NEEDS IN 2024In 2024, PA 211 recorded a total of 16,294 unmet needs. Unmet needs arise when theresources required to meet a client's needs are unavailable or the client is ineligible forassistance. Reasons for unmet needs include:While some of the reasons for unmet needs in 2024 are due to program eligibilityrequirements, 40% were due to the lack of service availability or the existence of aprogram/support. Both local governments and community partners invest resources in PA 211with the expectation of referrals to programs and supports. With limited resources,programming availability is a challenge for many communities across the Commonwealth. Thisis evidenced by some of the unmet needs presented on the next page.Service not Available/Does not ExistService Hours not AvailableCoordinated Entry ClosedIneligible – Gender/AgeIneligible – Housing StatusIneligible – IncomeIneligible – Household CompositionIneligible – ResidencyIneligible – Lacking Necessary DocumentationIneligible - Already Exhausted ResourceIneligible – Disability or Veteran Status40%of unmet needs dueto lack of service availability

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UNITED IS THE WAY CALL WAIT TIMES & ABANDON RATESIn 2024, PA 211 clients experiencedaverage wait times of nearly sevenminutes for calls, a little over two minutesfor chats, and seven-and-a-half minutesfor texts. Abandon rates for calls andchats were 35% and 40%, respectively. In2022, United Way of Pennsylvaniaadvocated for additional support for PA 211due to the impact COVID-19 had on call waittimes and abandon rates. At one point, PA211's call wait times exceeded 40 minutes.Fortunately, that has not happened the stateof 2025. However, PA 211 is seeing increasedcall wait times and abandon rates for twomain reasons - increased interactions andthe expiration of the one-time $4 milliongrant allocated to PA 211 in the 2022-23Commonwealth budget.Calls Chats TextsAverage Wait Time Average Abandon Time0100200300400500Average Wait and Abandon Times, 20246m 50s 6m 50s6m 27s2m 4s3m 52sCalls ChatsAbandon Rate0102030403540Abandon Rate, 2024(in seconds)%%The $4 million grant was used to make avariety of infrastructural enhancements andexpand use of technology for efficientdeployment of human resources. Theinvestment also allowed PA 211 to hireadditional intake specialists to address thehighest and most involved needs request,housing. As previously noted, housingaccounts for over one-third of the totalreferrals made by PA 211 in 2024. With theexpiration of those funds, PA 211 was forcedto reduce staff in the four contact centers,and housing intake specialists in theEastern Continuum of Care, which is leadingto higher call wait times and abandon rates.

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Eastern COC-211 Contact Metrics 2023 v. 2024July-23July-24CallsDifference (%)2,1712,529 +17%Avg. Wait(minutes)2837+32%AbandonsAbandon %635873+38%29 35+21%Aug.-23Aug.-24 Difference (%)2,2202,097-6%29 39+35%717 7513236+13%+5%UNITED IS THE WAY The chart above demonstrates the increase in wait times, abandonments, andabandonment rates in two of the higher volume months for the Eastern Continuum ofCare. In July and August of 2023, United Way of PA was using part of the $4 million grantto PA 211 to supplement housing coordinated entry intake capacity under a HUD-fundedcontract. In July and August of 2024, those funds were no longer available, positions wereeliminated, and wait times, abandons, and abandon rates went up.Call Wait Times and Abandon Rates (continued)

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UNITED IS THE WAY PA 211 FUNDING IN 2024 To operate the service, PA 211 relies on revenue from avariety of sources. Funding from the Commonwealthmakes up less than 10% of the total sources of revenuefunding PA 211. Contracted/Special Projects68.6%United Ways17.9%State Government9.9%Grants3%Local Government0.2%Donations, Miscellaneous, Other0.4%PA 211 operates its fourcontact centers at anannual cost of over $7.7million. While the largestportion of revenue comesfrom contracted/specialprojects, some of thoseprojects do not pay forthemselves. Most notably,HUD-funded coordinatedentry intake budgets areinsufficient to addressneeds. As a result, PA 211relies on other sources ofrevenue to support thosespecial projects. PA 211 Revenue (2024)

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UNITED IS THE WAY Governor Shapiro proposed flat funding PA 211 at $750,000 as part of his 2025-26 budgetproposal. United Way of PA and our network thank the Governor for ensuring continuedCommonwealth support of PA 211. However, we urge the General Assembly to increase thePA 211 line item to $2.5 million.PA 211 is universally necessary to rural, urban, and suburban communities across Pennsylvania -both to help our neighbors and to track and publicly report needs data, demographic data, andunmet needs. The stories of people who utilize PA 211 include struggling working families whohave never had to ask for help before, individuals on the verge of homelessness, communitymembers looking for support groups for the loss of a loved one, and services for an agingfamily member. PA 211 is growing in its public recognition and understanding across the Commonwealth. This isvital to help people secure the right support at the right time, save taxpayer resources, andavoid both trauma and financial disaster for individual households. Basic needs shortages areoften a contributing factor in mental health crises and substance use disorders. It’s better for aperson to reach out to the accessible and effective help-space of PA 211 when they get behindon their utility bills for advice about payment plans, customer assistance programs and/orLIHEAP, in advance of utilities being shut-off. It’s better for communities and individuals to callPA 211 and seek housing or eviction prevention resources, rather than enter the moreexpensive category of homeless services. PA 211 faces three major challenges - growing call wait times, increasing abandon rates, andunmet needs. Flexible, charitable dollars are also being invested in funding this service whilethe Commonwealth investment fails to secure the baseline service required in all of ourcommunities. The expiration of the $4 million state grant led to elimination of some housing intake specialistpositions. PA 211 can attribute the increase in wait times and abandon rates to this decision,compounded by the continually increasing need for housing-related solutions. PA 211anticipates wait times and abandon rates to steadily increase as these are the most involvedrequests that PA 211 receives. The only solution which allows PA to meet its federal fundingrequirements, is to hire additional housing intake specialists. To do this, PA 211 needs additionalcapital.PA 211 2025-26 APPROPRIATIONS REQUEST

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UNITED IS THE WAY PA 211 hopes to address some unmet needs by freeing up a portion of the funds it receivesfrom our local United Ways and nonprofit partners, to allow more of their flexible, charitabledollars to flow into communities. With those dollars dedicated to programming, and services,we expect unmet needs to decrease. However, to free up those funds and secure and improveone place any Pennsylvanian can turn to for help, PA 211 needs additional Commonwealthsupport. In the current budget year, local United Ways are contributing 80% more than theCommonwealth for PA 211 operations. Unfortunately, those contributions are not equal orequitable, and some PA 211 providers are better-funded than others, making the ability toprovide the service, promote the service and engage local partners for its effectiveness a veryprecarious situation in rural parts of our state. The original intent of the PA 211 line item in theCommonwealth budget was to bring the service to all 67 counties. As the data proves, theservice is used in all 67 counties and the state funding increase is needed to secure this foryour constituents into the future. With an increase of the PA 211 line item from $750,000 to $2.5 million, PA 211 intends to:Address the disproportionate local funding of PA 211 regions bysupplementing expenses to ensure continued access, and high qualityservice, in rural areas of the CommonwealthIncrease staffing to reduce call wait times and abandon ratesRe-institute state dollars paying for statewide VITA scheduling online andby phone through PA 211, to give access to more eligible filers and enhancethe financial impact of the programPromote and generate more public awareness of the service and increaseuse of the service for timely support that reduces the need for moreintensive and costly supports and servicesCapitalize strategic technology investments that continuously improve thePA 211 service and enhance our team’s ability to serve more Pennsylvanians. PA 211 Appropriations Request (continued)

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UNITED IS THE WAY GLOSSARYAgencies: Community-based organizations, government entities, or programs that coordinatethe distribution of resources to Pennsylvania residents. These may include nonprofits,governmental agencies, or other groups that assist with various services.Client/Contact: An individual who seeks assistance by contacting PA 211 through phone, text,chat, or email. This term refers to anyone utilizing the services offered by PA 211 to addresstheir needs.Resource Navigator: A trained professional committed to identifying clients' needs anddirecting them toward suitable resources. They play a crucial role in connecting individuals withthe assistance they require.Interaction: Any single exchange of communication between a client and a ResourceNavigator via any mode of communication provided by PA 211, capturing the essence of eachunique request for help.Needs: These refer to the various types of support a client may require, including but notlimited to housing assistance, food insecurity relief, and utility payment aid. Essentially, theseare the social determinants of health needs identified by the client.Referrals: Lists or suggestions of agencies, community-based organizations, or programsprovided to clients, complete with the necessary contact information. These referrals areintended to help clients access the resources required to meet their specific needs.Unmet Needs: Unmet needs arise when the resources required to meet a client's needs areunavailable, or the client is ineligible for assistance. Reasons for unmet needs can include:Service not Available/Does not Exist: A specific service or resource cannot beaccessed or found in the database near the client’s location. This also applies toseasonal resources that may only be available during certain times of the year.Service Hours not Available: Information about the hours of operation is notprovided, or not accessible to the client.

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UNITED IS THE WAY GLOSSARY (continued)Coordinated Entry Closed: A client has called for a housing/shelter need outside ofCoordinated Entry Hours. Contact Instructions in the General I&R workflow will tellyou CE hours specific to the county selected. Ineligible – Gender/Age: A client is ineligible for a service because of their genderand/or age.Ineligible – Housing Status: A client’s current housing situation does not meet theeligibility criteria for a specific service. Ineligible – Income: A client does not meet income requirements, or lacks a sourceof income, making them ineligible for a particular program or service.Ineligible – Household Composition: The makeup of an individual or family’shousehold does not meet the eligibility requirements for a specific program orservice. Household composition includes factors such as the number of people in thehousehold, their relationships to each other, and age.Ineligible – Residency: The client’s place of residence or length of time living at theircurrent residence does not meet the eligibility criteria for a specific program orservice. Ineligible – Lacking Necessary Documentation: The client cannot qualify for aprogram or service because they do not possess the required documentation to beeligible.Ineligible - Already Exhausted Resource: The client has previously used thisresource and is not able to utilize it again for a specified amount of time (once peryear is common for programs).Ineligible – Disability or Veteran Status: The client does not qualify for certainresources or services because of their disability status or veteran status does notmeet the required eligibility criteria.

PA 211 Appropriations Request - 2025 - 2026

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