Grant Recipient Spotlights
A total of 49 states, the District of Columbia, five U.S. territories, and 97 Native American tribes and tribal organizations participated in LIHWAP. Grant recipients demonstrated dedication to serving households in need by successfully administering a first-time, temporary program and spending down 97% of LIHWAP funds by the end of the program reporting period. OCS has highlighted these grant recipients in various Grant Recipient Spotlight Videos during the course of LIHWAP. In addition, grant recipients have documented the success of the program throughout their various quarterly reports[39] and updates to OCS.
“This program has been instrumental in providing essential water access to hundreds of households living in poverty, many of whom had previously gone without water for extended periods. The importance of water access as a basic human right cannot be overstated, and this program has been a crucial lifeline for many families, ensuring that their fundamental needs are met regardless of their income level.”
— Taricia Moliga, Intake Service Director, Nez Perce Tribe
“Our mission at the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and our core responsibility as government is to help people meet their most essential needs. Clean, reliable water access is necessary for both our individual well-being and a home’s safety, and we must be sure that we are helping people in vulnerable circumstances maintain access to the life-sustaining resource. The LIHWAP program helped give people security through a difficult time, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is grateful to the federal government for this support.”
— Hoa Pham, Deputy Secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services’ Office of Income Maintenance
“While working on the Water Assistance Program, I have made calls to more than a few applicants to let them know that benefits would be paid to their utility district which would prevent their homes from going to foreclosure. Some people I have spoken to have broken down in tears upon hearing this news. It was obvious the amount of stress in these people’s lives which would be alleviated due to this program. In these cases, the amount paid by the program to prevent foreclosure was in the thousands of dollars. People I have spoken with said they had no possible way of making the payments on their own.”
— Maine Water Assistance Program Team Member
“LIHWAP has assisted Louisiana with a utility cost that is anything but minor for a household living within financial constraints. Water and wastewater are critical components to keeping a family in decent, safe, and sanitary housing. Many families have had to choose between paying the water bill and putting food on the table. LIHWAP has given Louisiana citizens an opportunity to eliminate some of the anxiety that comes with how to pay the bills each month and more opportunity to focus on the other needs of their family. We hope to see this program continue in the future as what could only be considered a life-saving health and safety measure for Louisiana households in need.”
— Lauren Holmes, Housing Deputy Administrator, Louisiana Housing Corporation
"The LIHWAP program in our agency has helped our clients in paying their water bills, and thus they have been able to put their financial resources into other areas that help their families. From our agency’s standpoint, it is another needed service to help our families as part of a wraparound package of client services to help bring them out of poverty."
— Employee at Mid-Cumberland Community Action Agency, Tennessee
“It is a service that’s needed. It is a basic necessity of life to have safe drinking water and to be able to dispose of waste safely. ... It’s like watching the weight drop off their shoulders. They come in here, and they’re bowed down, and they’re hurting. And when they get this, it’s like they stand taller, and you literally see the relief flowing in their face.”
— Margaret Zientek, Workforce and Social Services Director, Citizen Potawatomi Nation of Oklahoma
"LIHWAP funding has enabled our agency to provide a huge impact to customers in our rural area. We serve seven counties in Iowa and struggle with crisis funds that we can utilize to pay for water service continuity and water reconnection. Before LIHWAP, many households faced disconnection and did not have funding to maintain their water source. With the LIHWAP funds, our agency was able to meet the needs of our communities and ensure that eligible households continue to have access to clean water."
— LIHWAP Coordinator, Iowa Community Action Agency