The California Department of Community Services and Development (CSD) announced an additional $600,000 available for the Drought Water Assistance Program Pilot Project, bringing the total funding for this emergency assistance program to $1.2 million to assist drought impacted, low-income households with residential water utility bills.
“Many low-income households already face hard decisions on how to stretch limited resources. Adding a job loss, reduced work hours or a water rate increase can mean these households have to choose what bills will get paid at the end of the month,” said CSD Director Linné Stout. “This infusion of funding will help assist more low-income households impacted by the drought by preventing disruption in water services.”
After hearing the local need, CSD created the Drought Water Assistance Program Pilot Project last year with a $600,000 grant under the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG). Previously, no state program offered emergency assistance with the primary focus of helping with water utility bills.
The program is available in 10 counties, including San Benito, experiencing a high unemployment rate, high share of agricultural workers and designated to have “exceptional” drought conditions according to the U.S. Drought Monitor Classification System. Under last year’s $600,000 grant, 2,793 households received water bill assistance and water conservation education. The average water bill assistance payment was $183.
San Benito County’s Community Services & Workforce Development will receive $60,000 to assist approximately 225 low-income household with a minimum benefit of $150 and a maximum benefit of $500 for shut-offs. Last year, 229 San Benito County households received an average payment of $209.61. Residents do not have to receive a water and sewer bill in order to apply, as even those with water and sewer included in their rent are able to request assistance. All applicants must be income eligible.
"This service is extremely beneficial in meeting the needs of extremely low-income residentswho already have limited resources; most specifically those impacted by the drought, seniors or individuals with disabilities on a fixed income and single parents," Community Services said in a press release.
Gov. Jerry Brown has called on all Californians to reduce their water use by 20 percent and prevent water waste – visit www.SaveOurWater.com for ideas about how to conserve, and visit Drought.CA.gov to learn more about how California is dealing with the effects of the drought est assistance.