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During the declared COVID-19 emergency, Governor Murphy signed an Executive Order which temporarily disallowed water shut-offs and interest charges on water bills during the period of the Moratorium (October 15, 2020 -March 15, 2022). As the Moratorium was lifted on March 15, 2022, the State put in place certain measures providing relief to residential ratepayers experiencing economic hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic. www.paulsboronj.org

BILL ASSISTANCE: The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) has developed a “Low Income Household Water Assistance Program [LIHWAP]”. This program is designed for qualifying low-income households who need help paying their water/sewer bills due to the hardship of the COVID-19 pandemic.

OPPORTUNITY TO PAY WATER/SEWER ARREARAGES OVER A TWELVE-MONTH INSTALLMENT PLAN: Please be advised that any Paulsboro residents who have faced economic hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic and who are behind on their water/sewer payment may be eligible to enter into an Agreement with the Borough where the resident agrees to pay their arrearages in installments for a period of time not to exceed one year. The Agreement also states that the resident must keep up to date on all current charges. (This does not apply to delinquencies that predated the Executive Order of October 15, 2020 or water/sewer liens sold before this period). The deadline to NOTIFY the Borough of your wish to participate in the Payment Plan is May 25, 2022.

For more information: Please call the Borough of Paulsboro’s Water Billing Department: (856) 423-1500 DEADLINE TO APPLY IS JUNE 1, 2022

LIHWAP PROGRAM: The application period for the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Low Income Household Water Assistance Program [LIHWAP] is now open.

LIHWAP is a federally funded program that will provide financial assistance to qualifying low- income households to reduce the balances on their residential water and sewer bills. LIHWAP will provide benefits directly to water and sewer service providers on behalf of residential customers. The LIHWAP assistance can be used, in order of priority, to:

• Restore services where services have been terminated and pay reconnection fees and other charges accrued due to a disconnection;

• Avoid service disruption for those residential customers who are in danger of disconnection/shut off (i.e., received shut off notices or have past due balances emanating from the Moratorium time period) and to help afford bill payment going forward; and

• support those household customers who are current in their bills but might be in danger of falling behind in the near future.

  Priority will be given to families with elderly or disabled household members and/or with children under the age of five, no matter which category they fall into.

  ELIGIBILITY FOR LIHWAP: To be eligible for LIHWAP assistance, applicants must be water/sewer account holders who are responsible for paying their water and sewer bill directly to the provider (Borough of Paulsboro). Also, eligibility for LIHWAP is income based: The applicant’s total gross household income must be at or below 60% of the State median income [ex. $6,439 a month for a family of four]. The LIHWAP frequently asked questions FAQ webpage can be found at: https://njdca-housing.dynamics365portals.us/lihwapfaq. This page has additional information about maximum income limits and other items.

  Participants in the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program LIHEAP are automatically eligible for LIHWAP assistance if they are water/sewer bill holders.

  LIHWAP APPLICATION: Residential customers can apply online through the DCAid application portal at: https://njdca-housing.dynamics365portals.us/en-US/dcaid-services/

  Those without computer or internet access can call 1-800-510-3102 to be directed to one of the community action agencies to assist them with starting, completing, and submitting an application online.

DEADLINE TO APPLY IS JUNE 1, 2022