The City of Tulsa announced today the Low-Income Housing Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) is helping more than 2,300 Tulsa utility rate payers with $818,000 of assistance in water and sewer portions of their utility bills.
Monies have kept people’s water on and their account payments up to date.
The assistance comes after Mayor G.T. Bynum approved a contract earlier this summer with the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) that allowed the City of Tulsa to accept LIHWAP subsidies for eligible customers. The application period was from July through early August, and no additional applicants can apply as the application window has passed.
A product of discussion at Tulsa City Council meetings regarding utility rates, City staff and Councilors worked together to find a way to be able to better assist utility customers needing help paying their bills.
Because LIHWAP applicants were able to receive more than what they currently owed at the time of their application on due and past due utility bills, the City of Tulsa has already distributed $432,000, with $386,000 additional monies that will be distributed to future portions of approved applicant’s bills through the end of the year.
LIHWAP eligibility was determined by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) and LIHWAP does not provide direct payments to utility customers, rather, it provides payments to the City of Tulsa on behalf of the utility account. LIHWAP’s priority is to ensure households whose services have been disconnected due to non-payment, or are about to be disconnected, are able to have their services restored as quickly as possible.
Tulsa utility customers utilizing the program are still responsible for any delinquent or current balance for other utilities that make up their utility bill, such as refuse & recycling fees and EMSA fees (if opted in).
More information about LIHWAP can be found online.
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