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Customer-Focused Walk-in Program Reaches Hundreds Needing Assistance with Water Bills
There was good news and bad news in the summer of 2023.
The good news was that the number of new COVID-19 cases was dropping and restrictive pandemic policies were being lifted. Michigan residents could breathe easier, literally. But at the same time, restrictions that had prevented utility companies from shutting off water to residents who got behind on their bills during the pandemic were also being lifted.
In the wake of illness and layoffs, many residents had been juggling bills and making hard decisions about what they could afford to cover. Rent or a mortgage, food for their family, and medical care often took priority over timely payment of a water bill.
More than a year earlier, the Genesee County Community Action Resource Department (GCCARD) had received a large grant from the Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services’ Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP), created to keep water flowing into the homes of low-income residents.
“We were very excited about receiving the LIHWAP grant, because we knew the need in our area was great,” says Shardae Davis, Deputy Director of GCCARD. “We had funds to help people get past-due water bills paid, which prevented shutoffs, and where water had already been shut off, we could assist with getting those services restored.”
GCCARD offered Walk-In Water Wednesdays to assist low-income residents with water utility payments.
While the moratorium on issuing water shutoff notices was in place, few residents applied for the funds. But when the moratorium was lifted, hundreds of individuals and families were suddenly in danger of having no running water.
The question for GCCARD staff was how to get word to those residents quickly to let them know that help with past-due water bills was available. And how could they make it easy for residents to access that assistance?
In the past, GCCARD staff had held initiatives called Walk-In Wednesdays that invited residents seeking assistance with unpaid utility bills to come to the agency during open hours on Wednesdays. They could just walk in. No appointment was needed. That eliminated some barriers to getting assistance, which is always a priority at GCCARD, and response had been good. In seeing the success of previous walk-in events, GCCARD staff suggested hosting Walk-In Wednesdays solely for the purpose of assisting clients with their water bills.
“We have a live hotline people can call,” says Ms. Davis. “But sometimes it’s not convenient for them to call during the hours the hotline is staffed, and some residents don’t have a phone. Walk-In Wednesdays gave people the opportunity to come by GCCARD anytime during the day and start the process of getting their needs met.”
Initiating another series of weekly walk-in days also meant the organization could close the hotline each Wednesday, which would free up the hotline staff to work with walk-in clients. So in early August 2023, GCCARD launched Walk-In Water Wednesdays specifically for residents with unpaid water bills. The program was advertised on Facebook, and staff shared the messages in order to get widespread coverage. Other local organizations also received information about the program so they could pass it on to their clients.
On the first few Walk-In Water Wednesdays, Ms. Davis remembers there were lines of hopeful residents outside the door when GCCARD opened in the morning. The organization’s strategic plan to get information about Walk-in Water Wednesdays into the hands of those who needed it was working!
“I saw it all over Facebook,” remembers Troy, a resident who had been paying what he could on his water bills, but was running behind. Friends who saw the program advertised also told him about it.
Shardae Davis, Genesee County Community Action Resource Department
“I walked in with my documentation, and they were able to get my water bills paid up,” he says. With a family of five under his roof, including three children, Troy was relieved. “I felt real good that there were people to help.”
Pamela Coleman, Genesee County Community Action Resource Department
Bridget, another resident, had just gotten out of the hospital and she was in a tough spot. Her water bill was high and she could not afford to pay the whole thing. She called the water company to ask if they had resources that could help her pay it, and they referred her to GCCARD. She got a ride to GCCARD and was first in line on a Walk-in Water Wednesday.
“I believe we can help you” a staff person told Bridget, after looking over her application. It was an answer to Bridget’s prayers.
“They told me there was nothing to be embarrassed about,” remembers Bridget, “and I appreciated that. They needed a little more paperwork, which I got to them. They called me back the next day and told me I qualified. They said everything was going to be OK, and it was. They paid my water bill.”
Walk-In Water Wednesdays ran through the end of September 2023. By the time the program ended, members of nearly 400 households had walked into GCCARD and applied. LIHWAP funding continued to be available for clients by appointment through March 2024.