CommUnify Announces New $1.4M Water Assistance Program

By CommUnify

For community members struggling financially following the pandemic and are unable to afford their water bills, CommUnify (formerly Community Action Commission/CAC) is pleased to announce a new utility payment assistance program that can help – the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP).

All Californians deserve access to safe and clean water, and many households need assistance now. LIHWAP may be able to help Santa Barbara County income eligible residents pay their water or wastewater utility bills through this new federally-funded program through the California Department of Community Services and Development. LIHWAP offers low-income households a one-time payment – of up to $2,000 – to help pay bills for residential water or wastewater costs. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government awarded California funding to help households struggling to afford the costs of water, and many Californians in need may qualify.

“CommUnify is so happy to be participating in the LIHWAP program and offer this vital assistance to our community,” said Patricia Keelean, Chief Executive Officer of CommUnify. “With so many Santa Barbara County residents still striving for financial independence, this program can help provide some support to get them on a successful path to reaching that goal.” The amount of help that each resident will receive depends upon the past due balance and current charges of the household’s residential water and wastewater bills. Households whose utility payments are included in their rent may also be eligible for LIHWAP. Program participation is limited to households receiving services from water and wastewater providers enrolled in the LIHWAP partnership to receive the payment of assistance benefits. To see if your water utility is participating in the LIHWAP program please visit the LIHWAP page on the 2-1-1 website for a complete list of enrolled service providers. Residents interested in seeing if they qualify for the LIHWAP program should call the 2-1-1 HelpLine to complete the screening, learn whether they meet the eligibility requirements, and find an enrolled local service provider.

Pay your residential water and wastewater utility bills
Manage an emergency or water crisis, such as a service disconnection
Prevent other adverse effects such as debt collection or placement of liens.

“The addition of LIHWAP to CommUnify’s other utility payment assistance programs truly provides significant financial aid to families struggling to make ends meet,” said Kemba Lawrence, Program Director of CommUnify’s Community Services department. “We are happy to include LIHWAP as part of the other wraparound services we offer to income eligible residents countywide.”

For a complete description of CommUnify’s programs and services please visit www.CommUnifySB.org. Please contact Joni Kelly, Communications Manager for CommUnify at 805-964-8857 ext. #1109 or via email jkelly@CommUnifySB.org for more information about the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP), to request high-resolution images, or to arrange interviews with Patricia Keelean, Chief Executive Officer of CommUnify or Kemba Lawrence, Program Director of CommUnify’s Community Services department.

About CommUnify:

CommUnify (formerly CAC/Community Action Commission) was formed in 1964 as a 15-member Community Action Committee appointed by the County Board of Supervisors to address the causes and conditions of poverty within the entirety of Santa Barbara County. It became a 501c(3) nonprofit organization in 1967. The organization is committed to taking a leadership position in alleviating poverty, and surrounding residents with the stability they need to build stronger lives and become healthy, educated, working, self-sufficient members of our community. As one of the largest nonprofits in Santa Barbara County, CommUnify employs about 300 staff, including health, education, and social service workers who oversee 16 programs. The nonprofit supports families and individuals through health and human service programs, including Seniors Safe at Home, Head Start, Weatherization, Utility Payment and Energy Assistance, Family & Youth Services, and the Santa Barbara County 2-1-1 Help Line, and serve more than 7,500 people throughout the county each year. CommUnify is a private nonprofit agency that is sustained by support from individuals, family and corporate foundations, and government grants. More information is available at: www.CommUnifySB.org.