Wilmington Mayor And City Finance Director Taylor Announce Senior Utility Assistance Program

Press release from the City of Wilmington:

December 15, 2020

Mayor Mike Purzycki and City Finance Director J. Brett Taylor today announced the launch of a Senior Utility Assistance Program to help low-income Wilmington seniors pay their monthly water/sewer/stormwater bills during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With funding from the Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA) and American Water Resources (AWR), the City will provide support to qualified seniors on a first-come, first-served basis.

AWR has a contract with the City to provide water and sewer line protection coverage for City property owners who chose this option. As part of that agreement, AWR provides funding to the City annually to assist residents with water and sewer related costs. The mission of the DSHA is to efficiently provide, and assist others to provide, quality, affordable housing opportunities, and appropriate supportive services to low- and moderate-income Delawareans. The DHSA has utility payment funding available to assist seniors who are referred by the City.

“A lot of people are struggling because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said the Mayor, “and our low-income seniors are an especially vulnerable population at this time. A delinquent utility bill is extremely distressing, so we are pleased to at least be able to provide some financial relief.”

For more information on eligibility or to apply online, visit: wilmingtonde.gov/home/showpublisheddocument. To be eligible for this assistance program you must:

• Be sixty-five years of age or older at the date of application
• Provide proof of age, such as a driver’s license or official State ID with picture
• Reside within the City limits and be the owner of the property, which must also be your principle residence
• Request only one credit per property even if there are joint owners
• Have a City of Wilmington water utility account that is three months past due
• Provide proof of income at or below the 165% federal poverty guideline for the most recent 30 days

If there are additional household members, then the gross countable income of ALL household members may not exceed 165% percent of the current federal poverty guidelines. (The 2020-21 federal poverty tables used by Delaware’s Division of Social Services are included with this release.) If necessary, additional documents may be requested in order to determine eligibility or explain current income if insufficient documentation is provided with the initial application.

If an outstanding balance remains after utility assistance funding is applied, the customer must agree to be placed on a monthly payment plan. Also, the grant can only be applied every other year when the funds are available. The program ends when funding is exhausted.

Applications can also be mailed to the Wilmington Finance Department, Account Services Division, 800 N. French Street, 1st Floor, Wilmington, DE 19801. While the City government building is closed to the public because of COVID-19, applications can be placed in the Finance Department’s drop box on the 1st Floor lobby, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. The application and supporting documentation should be placed in an envelope with a name and utility account number. Seniors can also obtain information by calling Wilmington’s 311 Customer Service Center.

Once all documentation is received, the process will take approximately fifteen (15) business days to decide eligibility. You will receive a notice of approval or denial in the mail. You may also receive a payment arrangement letter, which must be signed before any payment assistance is posted to an account.

This press release was produced by the City of Wilmington. The views expressed here are the author’s own.