Step Forward and the Ohio Department of Development will assist eligible Cuyahoga County residents with paying water and wastewater bills through the new Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP). The program began January 18, 2022 and will end on September 30, 2022.
Eligible residents must be at or below 175% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, have a disconnection notice, or have been disconnected, in the process of establishing a new service or paying to transfer service. Residents with a current medical certificate on file with their utility are ineligible to receive LIHWAP assistance until the medical certificate protection expires.
To apply for the program, clients are required to schedule an appointment. For appointment scheduling call, (216) 350-8008 or visit https://stepforward.itfrontdesk.com. Appointments are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Walk-ins will not be accepted.
Residents with scheduled appointments should submit their documentation at least 3 days in advance of their appointment to receive assistance at the time of appointment. Documentation can be submitted to the Step Forward drop box located at 2203 Superior Avenue, emailed to Heapdocuments@stepforwardtoday.org, or submitted online at energyhelp.ohio.gov.
Clients need to provide copies of the following documents for their appointment:
Copies of their most recent water/wastewater bills.
A list of all household members and proof of income for the last 30 days or 12 months for each member.
Proof of U.S. citizenship or legal residency for all household members.
Proof of disability (if applicable).
For more information about the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program, contact (216) 350-8008. For contact information of your local Energy Assistance provider, call (800)282-0880 (hearing impaired clients may dial 711 for assistance), or visit www.energyhelp.ohio.gov.