Understanding Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Outcomes and Utility Insecurity Resulting from COVID-19

In a collaborative project with Community Legal Services, we examined the racial equity of utility insecurity in Philadelphia and across Pennsylvania as a whole. We combined administrative data of arrears and service terminations from utility companies with COVID-19 death data and focus groups with more than 20 Pennsylvanians to gain a comprehensive understanding of the struggles of under-resourced communities prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Low-income, Black, and Latinx residents are more likely to be rent-burdened and experience utility insecurity than their higher-income and White peers. Areas with higher concentrations of minority residents also have much higher rates of utility arrears and disconnections. In addition, communities with higher non-white shares were hit hardest by the coronavirus, especially in the early months. In sum, disadvantaged communities face a multitude of adversities, compounding harm to already vulnerable populations. Read the report here.