Senator Kirsten Gillibrand continues to push for assistance for low-income families to help cover costs associated with water bills. Funding to help those in need ran out last year, prompting the need for updated legislation.

In 2021, Congress provided $1.1 billion to provide low-income households with critical relief to their water bills. The Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program, LIHWAP, has helped over one million households maintain a supply of clean water sources. However funding for the program ran out at the end of fiscal year 2023, prompting senators to call for a solution.

The average household spends more than one thousand dollars a year on bills related to water and sewer service. Thanks to rising costs across the board, some families are struggling to stay afloat. A coalition of senators have united to address the needs for LIHWAP funding head on.

"So far, the program has helped over a million households maintain and restore their water service, including 35,000 households across New York. But the initial 1.1 billion dollars appropriated for the program expired in September. Without this critical assistance, thousands of households are at risk of having their water shut off," remarked Senator Gillibrand.

Senator Gillibrand wrote a letter to members of the Senate Appropriations Committee's leadership stressing the importance of obtaining funding to help families in need stay ahead of their water and sewer bills. LIHWAP funding originally came from the Consolidated Appropriations Act and the American Rescue Plan