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Detroit
Water
Fund
Receives
$1.7M
from
Mich.
Health
Endowment
Fund to
assist
in
paying
water
bills
Announcement
Comes on
Eve of
Saturday’s
Detroit
Water
Fair at
Cobo
Detroit
Mayor
Mike
Duggan
today
expressed
his
gratitude
to the
Michigan
Health
Endowment
Fund (MHEF)
for its
commitment
of up to
$1.7
million
to help
eligible,
low-income
Detroiters
receive
25%
assistance
toward
paying
their
water
bills.
The MHEF
today
announced
it is
donating
the
money to
United
Way for
Southeastern
Michigan
for the
Detroit
Water
Fund,
which
provides
financial
assistance
to
Detroiters
whose
income
is below
150% of
the
federal
poverty
guidelines.
“With
the Cobo
Water
Fair
taking
place
tomorrow,
this
commitment
from the
Michigan
Health
Endowment
Fund
will
help us
make
sure
more
low-income
Detroiters
have the
help
they
need to
keep
their
water on
after
the
shut-off
moratorium
ends on
August
25,”
Mayor
Duggan
said. “I
encourage
any
Detroiter
who
needs
help
getting
current
on their
water
bill to
come out
to the
Water
Fair and
get into
a
payment
plan.”
“One of
our
three
core
focus
areas at
United
Way is
basic
needs,"said
United
Way
President
& CEO
Michael
J.
Brennan.
“There
is no
more
basic
need
than the
need for
water—and
this
contribution
from
MHEF
will go
a long
way in
helping
Detroiters
with
their
monthly
water
bill
payments
and to
get them
on a
path
that
will
hopefully
lead to
financial
stability
in the
future.”
The
Endowment
Fund
also
announced
it is
contributing
$300,000
to
establish
a pilot
project
– also
geared
toward
eligible
low-income
Detroiters
– to
assist
them
with
initial
clean up
and
disinfecting
of their
basements
after
last
week’s
flood.
The
limited
scale
pilot
effort
--
called
Project
H2O --
will be
run by
the
Wayne
Metro
Community
Action
Agency
and will
use the
same
criteria
as the
Detroit
Water
Fund to
determine
a
person’s
eligibility
for
receiving
assistance.
The
funding
will
only go
toward
initial
clean up
and
disinfecting
of
flood-damaged
areas
inside
homes to
make
sure
they do
not pose
any
health
risks.
For more
information
on
applying
for
funding
through
Project
H20,
please
call
Wayne
Metro at
313-388-9789.
What:
Detroit
Water
Fair
When:
Saturday,
August
23,
2014, 9
a.m. – 5
p.m.
Where:
Cobo
Center,
Exhibit
Hall A
Confirmed
Partners
and
Roles,
Cobo
Water
Fair
•
United
Way
-
Helping
residents
apply
for
Water
Fund
assistance
and
supplying
211
information
•
Detroit
Area
Agency
on Aging
-
Helping
customers
apply
for
Water
Fund
assistance
and
providing
additional
assistance
for
seniors
and
persons
with
disabilities
•
THAW
-
Helping
customers
apply
for
Water
Fund
assistance
•
Wayne
Metropolitan
Community
Action
Agency
-
Providing
information
on a
wide
variety
of needs
from
utility
assistance
to
financial
literacy
•
EcoWorks-
Providing
classes
throughout
the day
on water
conservation
•
South
West
Counseling
Solutions
- Water
bill
assistance
for
veterans
•
Black
Family
Development
-
Information
to
support
the
needs of
children
and
families
•
Detroit
Rescue
Missions
Ministries
-
Information
on
housing
needs,
substance
abuse,
and more
•
Matrix
Human
Services
–
Information
on
housing,
employment,
and more
•
ACCESS
-
Helping
to
provide
information
on
health
insurance
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