The Wichita city council has approved an extension of the Help-2-Others water bill assistance program for the month of December.
The council voted to transfer $150,000 from the H2O program to fund a supplemental program for December. The Center of Hope administers the program for the city, but residents can apply for assistance at Neighborhood Resource Centers or the city’s Public Works department for December. They will have to meet the same qualifications as the federally-funded Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) in order to qualify for H2O benefits. If they qualify, residents will get a $50 credit on their water bill for the month of December. Households that have already received assistance from the H2O program this year will not be eligible for the supplemental program.
Penny Feist with the city’s Public Works department said the supplemental program will provide information on how the H2O program can be improved in the future.
The supplemental program will be in effect through December 31st, or until the $150,000 in funding is exhausted.
Since 2015, the Center of Hope has helped 1,362 households under the H2O program with payments totaling $167,521.
