By Paige Nash

The City of Minden has entered a Low Income Household Water Assistance Vendor Agreement with the Louisiana Housing Corporation. This assistance program is an effort to assist eligible households with covering or reducing the rates of water and wastewater services. It can also assist with rates and fees to cover reconnections and help prevent disconnections.  

This is a temporary program created by Congress in an effort to assist families that need extra help during the Covid pandemic. It was part of a support package that includes a similar assistance program called Low Income Home Energy Program, which assists with paying electric bills for eligible families.  

“This money goes back into your towns, into your cities, so if we have someone that has a utility bill that we can help them on, at this point in time, we can only help with the electricity portion of that bill,” said Melinda Davidson, Executive Director of Webster Parish Office of Community Services. “With this new grant we can also help them with water, but I need more people to get on board.” 

The only area in the parish that has agreed to sign at this time is the City of Minden.

“Any area within the parish that is a city, town, village, that has a water system that sends out water bills can receive funds,” said Davidson. “but before I can help these people that come into my office, I have to have a signed vendor agreement with that area.”

Eligibility requirements include having a household income below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Line, which is $19,320 for a single person, $26,130 for a couple or having an income below 60 percent of the state’s median income. The program gives priority to households that include an older adult, member with a disability or young children 5 or below.  

This is not a permanent agreement. It will remain in effect until June 30, 2024. It is unclear at this time how much the agency will pay, but it is not designed to cover full costs of water and wastewater services but to act as a supplement. Households will not receive the funds directly. It will go to the owner/operator of the water service.  

The agencies under the agreement will be responsible for screening and determining household eligibility and will have to provide certain documentation and authorization for approved clients. The payments made by the program to the client will be posted within 3-5 business days and the payments can also be used to pay past due balances.  

Apply by contacting your local community action agency.