Utility and Water Assistance
Water Affordability Program is a temporary emergency program to help low-income households pay overdue water and wastewater bills. Michigan received emergency funding from Congress to administer this program. This program is available to low-income homeowners or renters. Funding is administered through MDHHS to Community Action Agencies (CAAs) statewide until September 30, 2029, unless depleted prior to that date.
Allowable Services:
•Restoring residential water and/or wastewater service.
• Paying down water bills currently in arrears.
• Protecting participating residents from water and/or wastewater shutoffs.
• Supporting reasonable water affordability plans that are based on an individual’s ability to pay, including capped payments based on household income to prevent accumulating a balance on future water bills and funding to qualified providers to cover the remaining cost of service.
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The maximum payout amount or household cap, is $3,000 per fiscal year household.
Eligibility:
Qualified water bill account holders must:
• Be a residential account.
• Be in arrears or disconnect status.
• Be under 200% federal Poverty Level and/or actively receiving Family Independence Program/Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (FIP/TANF), Food Assistance Program/Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (FAP/SNAP), State Emergency Relief (SER), Social Security Supplemental Income (SSI).