Utility and Water Assistance

Water Affordability Program is a temporary emergency program to help low-income households pay overdue water and wastewater bills. 

Michigan received emergency funding from Congress to administer this program. This program is available to low-income homeowners or renters. 

Funding is administered through MDHHS to Community Action Agencies (CAAs) statewide until September 30, 2027, unless depleted prior to that date.

Allowable Services:

• Restoring residential water and/or wastewater service.

• Paying down water bills currently in arrears.

• Protecting participating residents from water and/or wastewater shutoffs.

The maximum payout amount or household cap, is $3,000 per fiscal year household.

• Supporting reasonable water affordability plans that are based on an individual’s ability to pay, including capped payments based on household income to prevent accumulating a balance on future water bills and funding to qualified providers to cover the remaining cost of service.

Eligibility:

Qualified water bill account holders must:

• Be a residential account.

• Be in arrears or disconnect status.

• Be under 200% federal Poverty Level and/or actively receiving Family Independence Program/Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (FIP/TANF), Food Assistance Program/Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (FAP/SNAP), State Emergency Relief (SER), Social Security Supplemental Income (SSI).