8/28/2024
Cook County, in collaboration with Elevate, is launching a technical assistance opportunity to help suburban Cook County municipalities make water more affordable for residents most vulnerable to water debt and shutoffs.
The technical assistance opportunity will involve a deep dive into data that will help determine the breadth and extent of water affordability issues in an individual community and recommend ways to address them. Following the analysis, municipalities can apply for up to $300,000 to implement these strategies. Funding can go towards municipal projects like launching an affordable water rate, setting up a residential leak alert system, or providing seed funding for a customer assistance program.
All suburban Cook County municipalities are encouraged to apply for this opportunity. The program will prioritize applications from municipalities with a high water burden (percentage of income spent on water bills), Income Qualified Census Tracts (per HUD), and high percentages of non-revenue water loss. The program has ten spots for interested municipalities to conduct water affordability analyses and develop a water affordability action plan.
To apply, please complete the application form by October 18, 2024. Spots are limited – interested municipalities should apply quickly!
This technical assistance opportunity is part of the Cook County Water Affordability program, which passed unamiously before the Cook County Board of Commissioners in May 2024. In addition to technical assistance, the program will provide water bill relief and residential leak repairs starting in Fall 2024. The Cook County Water Affordability program is administered by Elevate on behalf of Cook County Bureau of Economic Development. Funding is provided through the American Rescue Plan Act.