The LA100 Equity Strategies study documented what OPA's Listening Sessions and Solutions Summits echoed: many communities have been shaped by decades of underinvestment, barriers to program access, and lower trust in government agencies. That history means LADWP needs partners to have the impact it desires. Across every community, customers said the same thing: they are more likely to act on information that arrives through faith-based organizations, community organizations, senior centers, and local leaders. This is important because addressing affordability extends well beyond outreach. It also depends on customers taking action: enrolling in assistance, opting into new rate options (when they become available), adopting usage tools, or signing up for efficiency programs. These opportunities deliver value only when customers act on them — and the households least likely to act through formal channels are often the ones with the most to gain, both for themselves and for a system that benefits when participation is broad. LADWP's Community Partnership Grants and Customer Service Division’s community outreach pilot prove the model works. The opportunity is to consider treating these partnerships as core elements of LADWP’s communication and service infrastructure, and investing accordingly.
Opportunities for LADWP to consider:
- Establish contracting mechanisms so different LADWP functions can engage community- and faith-based organizations efficiently and consistently over time to provide outreach, education, enrollment assistance, direct services, policy support, and other opportunities (illustrative examples include bench contracts, multi-year contracts, and fiscal sponsorships)
- Strengthen standing coordination with agencies serving vulnerable populations — including but not limited to the County of Los Angeles’ Department of Public Social Services and City of Los Angeles’ Community Investment for Families Department — to deliver regular training on LADWP programs and policies; explore multi-program screening opportunities; and explore collaborative customer program offerings (illustrative examples includes portable battery backup for households who use life support devices or the Los Angeles Housing Department’s Handyworker Program)
- Expand Customer Support Saturdays and other customer assistance events into trusted community settings in partnership with faith-based organizations, community-based organizations, senior centers, community centers, and other trusted partners