Sulphur program aids low-income households with certain utilities
Published 12:26 pm Sunday, March 3, 2013
The city of Sulphur is continuing its program to aid low-income households with payment of water, sewer and trash fees charged by the city.
The program is open to all residents who meet the criteria, which is based on a household’s monthly gross income, Mayor Chris Duncan said.
For the purposes of the program, he said, a household is defined as parents, their minor children — under 18 — and grandparents. The program does not apply to residents who rent and have their utilities included in their rent.
The fees are absorbed by the city, Duncan said.
“This is just something else that the city does for our community to try and help people out,” he said.
Residents who were eligible in previous years are required to reapply for the program. Applications will be taken 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. March 4-8 at Sulphur City Hall, 101 N. Huntington St.
“The reason that residents have to reapply each year is because things change,” Duncan said. “Someone may come into a fortune, go back to work or something else may change that affects income, or someone may have lost their job and need some assistance.”
He said the program also has to be re-evaluated annually to ensure it’s in accordance with federal guidelines, which also change.
Applicants are required to bring proof of income for each person in a household and proof of the number of people residing in a household.
Duncan said everyone who applies and is eligible gets some amount of credit. The maximum credit is $7.50 per bill.
“We allocate a certain amount that can be credited to residents a month,” he said. “We average about 100-150 people that apply. The more people that apply, the less credit there is going to be for each resident.”
To qualify for the program a household of one must have a monthly gross income of no more than $1,719; a household of three no more than $2,777; a household of five no more than $3,834; a household of eight no more than $4,562; and a household of 10 no more than $4,760 a month.
For more information, call City Hall at 527-4500.
Sulphur Mayor Chris Duncan. (American Press Archives)
