The program offers eligible individuals and families up to $ 2,500 for potable water arrears and $ 2,500 for sewage arrears to help them avoid service interruptions when the moratorium on closings expires next month.
Beginning December 1, low-income New Yorkers will be able to apply for help paying their past due water and sewage bills thanks to the Low-Income Household Water Program, Governor Kathy Hochul announced Monday.
This is thanks to $ 69.8 million in federal funds that will be administered by the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. The program offers eligible individuals and families up to $ 2,500 for potable water arrears and $ 2,500 for sewage arrears to help them avoid service interruptions when the moratorium on closings expires next month.
The Low Income Household Water Assistance Program is aimed at low-income households, particularly those that pay a high proportion of their income for drinking water and sewerage services. The program is expected to serve approximately 105,000 households throughout the state. The financing is aimed at those households with utility bills that are at least 20 days past due and will be paid directly to the utility company.
Like the Home Energy Assistance Program, those who qualify are based on income, household size and amount owed. For example, a household of four would need to have a gross monthly income of $ 5,249 or less to qualify.
Applications will be accepted online and by mail starting December 1. For more information, including how to apply, you can visit otda.ny.gov/lihwap .
Those enrolled in the Home Energy Assistance Program, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, who receive Temporary Assistance or live alone and receive Supplemental Security Income are categorically eligible, but still need to apply for assistance.
Surveys conducted by OTDA indicate that the number of households with overdue water bills can vary by up to 15 percent in some regions of the state, with average arrears of around $ 250. Nationally, the combined average bill for drinking water and sewer is $ 1,200 per year, according to statistics from the US Department of Labor.
Drinking water and wastewater are public service connections that are protected by the moratorium on the closure of public services, which runs until the end of December. Regulated utilities also agreed to postpone any pending service disconnections over the New Year holidays.
“As New Yorkers return from the devastating effects of the pandemic, distressed households should never be left wondering if they will be able to afford basic services like water and sewer,” said Governor Hochul. “Over the course of the pandemic, the affordability of public services has too often become a prohibitive obstacle to a household’s financial stability. This assistance will help ensure that New Yorkers do not have to worry about losing these basic necessities while they struggle to make ends meet. “