Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Emily Lloyd announced last week that nearly 52,000 low-income, senior, or disabled homeowners across the city will receive an automatic credit of $115.89 on their next water bill, saving most participants approximately 25 percent on their annual bill.
“The holidays can be expensive – and this credit will provide some much-needed relief to low-income, senior, and disabled homeowners,” said de Blasio. “Our Home Water Assistance Program is just one way in which we’ve focused on providing relief to New York City’s water customers – from the lowest water rate increase in over a decade, to freezing the minimum charge.”
The credit is part of the Home Water Assistance Program, which was first introduced by the de Blasio Administration in 2014. Last year, 12,500 homeowners who qualified for the Federal Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) received the credit. This year, DEP has expanded the program to include those who receive a Senior Citizens Homeowners Exemption or a Disabled Homeowners Exemption for property taxes, bringing the total to nearly 52,000 homeowners.
DEP has partnered with the Human Resources Administration (HRA) and the Department of Finance (DOF) to identify qualified one- to four- family homeowners that received a HEAP or low-income property tax benefit in 2015.
Homeowners do not have to do anything to receive the credit; it will appear on the next water and sewer bill for qualifying customers.
DEP proposed these changes to the New York City Water Board, which adopted them as part of the FY 2016 Water and Sewer Rate schedule. In addition, as part of DEP’s commitment to providing the highest quality service while ensuring effective and fair revenue collection, for the last two years the minimum charge has been frozen for those customers who use less than 100 gallons of water each day. This means that roughly 25 percent of single family homes, many of them owned by seniors, have seen no water rate increase during that time. DEP has also expanded the leak forgiveness program, which has saved customers more than $83 million in leak-related water charges since 2011.
Coney Island State Senator Diane Savino said she is pleased to see the continued success of the Home Water Assistance Program. “It is vital to those residents on a fixed income to obtain financial relief, especially those who will receive the credit under the program’s new growth,” she said.
Bay Ridge State Sen. Marty Golden said too often he encounters residents who are overcome with the expense of their water bills, and the trend of increases that has persisted for many years.
“This credit will help some of those most in need and who make sacrifices when paying bills such as their water bill. This is a step in the right direction in making New York City a more affordable place to call home, and it is my hope to work to create even greater incentives,” said Golden.
“As chair of the NYS Assembly Aging Committee, I know that for seniors and people with disabilities, water and sewer costs play an expensive role when it comes to keeping low- and fixed-income individuals in their homes” said Sheepshead Bay Assembly Member Steve Cymbrowitz. “I applaud Mayor de Blasio and New York City Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Emily Lloyd for extending this credit to our vulnerable populations and making our city more affordable”
Williamsburg Assembly Member Joseph Lentol said, “I want to commend the Mayor for instituting this program which helps relieve some financial pressure low-income homeowners experience. We want to maintain as well as increase homeownership for low income individuals and families. This is one way of advancing that goal.”
“Every little bit counts for families trying to make ends meet this time of year. By expanding the Home Water Assistance Program, the de Blasio administration has given 52,000 New York homeowners and their families a much needed break just in time for the holiday season. I commend Mayor de Blasio and Commissioners Lloyd, Banks and Jiha for broadening access to this important program and working proactively to identify and assist those who qualify,” said Boerum Hill City Council Member Steve Levin.
Bay Ridge City Council Member Vincent Gentile said, “Concerning low-income, senior and disabled homeowners, the Home Water Assistance Program and this credit is a great step towards water bill relief in our City. We must keep working to ensure bill relief for all New York City water customers.”
“Special thanks to Mayor de Blasio and DEP in their efforts to provide financial assistance to low income homeowners. The Home Water Assistance Program is an affirmation to DEP’s commitment to provide high quality service and fair revenue collection,” said Canarsie City Council Member Alan Maisel.
DEP manages New York City’s water supply, providing more than one billion gallons of water each day to more than nine million residents, including eight million in New York City. For more information, visitnyc.gov/dep, like DEP on Facebook at facebook.com/nycwater, or follow DEP on Twitter attwitter.com/nycwater.
