utility shutoff risk

Stories from people dealing with utility shutoff risk — what changed, who decided it, and what the ordinary days look like now.

1 story

A spreadsheet of emergency aid requests with dollar amounts and two different urgency scores for the same need.

Money

A Neighborhood Fund Used AI. Short Requests Lost Money.

The fund had $8,400 and 73 emergency requests. Its AI ranking favored people who explained more, forcing volunteers to choose between a consistent score and their own hidden judgments.

Mara Quinn · October 6, 2026 · 7 min

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