Free money for certain Fresno County residents to pay water bills
FRESNO, Calif. (KGPE/KSEE) – As prices seem to rise for everyone, there is help for low-income Fresno County residents to pay water bills – but the help from the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission is about to expire.
According to the Fresno Economic Opportunity Commission’s Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program page (LIHWAP) Fresno County Residents are eligible if they meet the following criteria:
A Fresno County resident
Live in a low-income household
Have a valid social security card
Have a valid ID (driver’s license, California ID, and/or valid US identification)
Provide all pages of their current residence’s water bill (the current bill must have an overdue balance)
CalFresh food stamps documentation (if applicable)
The deadline for in-person applicants to apply for the LIHWAP is Friday, March 29; drop-box applications will be accepted until March 31.
Residents of over 20 cities in Fresno County are participating in the program and those outside the City of Fresno are urged to apply as well.
A list of participating water systems and participating cities can be found here. Officials say funds will be allocated based on eligibility criteria and available on a first come first serve basis.
In a statement, the Fresno Economic Opportunity Commission says they are encouraging residents to take advantage of the opportunity to receive this one-time assistance.
At this time, we don’t have a limit on how many applications we are accepting, however, we do have a firm cutoff date, so it is important that families apply now.”
-Patty Ayala, Fresno EOC LIHWAP
Officials add that the LIHWAP team will be available on Friday, March 29th, from 8 am to 5 pm at 1900 Mariposa Street Suite 125 in Fresno to guide applicants through the process, and applications will be accepted until the last minute.
More information can be found here.
