MaineHousing announced the Maine Water Assistance Program on Tuesday, August 23, 2022.  This program is available to all Maine water and wastewater utilities, specifically for their customers who fell behind on their bills during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Statement from MaineHousing:

For eligible customers, the Maine Water Assistance Program will clear past due balances and/or establish a one-time benefit that can be applied to a current and/or future water or wastewater bill.  In both cases the payment will be made directly to the utility provider on behalf of an eligible customer.

This program is tentatively scheduled to begin in mid-September of 2022 and will run until the funds, approximately $4.7 million, are expired.  This is a one-time program that is currently not expected to be reauthorized by Congress.

To be eligible to receive payments from the program the authorized agents for water and wastewater utilities will be required to sign an agreement with MaineHousing that will allow for direct deposit to the utility on behalf of the eligible customer.  The vendor agreement and other required forms will be emailed to you by the end of August.

The consumer will also be required to apply for the program, providing proof of income eligibility, a copy of a current water and/or wastewater bill, as well as other household information.

Fee reduction payments for all eligible households will be based on household demographics.  A benefit matrix point system will be used to identify households with the greatest need.  Payments will be based on total points, and based on eligibility will be either $200, $350, or $500.

If payment to the utility is more than customer owes, the balance should be credited to the ratepayer’s account to be used for future charges.

You can learn more about the program details and sign up for updates by clicking below.

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