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DWSD says Lifeline affordability program faces funding shortfall; enrollment falls from 27,000 to about 10,000

2772837 · March 21, 2025
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Summary

DWSD officials told council the Lifeline affordability program — which capped customer bills at 1.8% of household income — no longer has funding to cover prior enrollment levels: DWSD contributes about $2.4 million under a Cox order and the state adds about $8 million, supporting roughly 10,000 households compared with 27,000 at peak; councilors

Detroit Water and Sewage Department officials told City Council on Monday that the department’s Lifeline affordability program has far fewer participants than it did in earlier years because available funding has dwindled.

Director Gary Brown said the Lifeline program previously enrolled about 27,000 customers and capped participant bills at 1.8% of household income. He said DWSD’s contribution to Lifeline is roughly 1% of the department’s annual…

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