NACWA staff joined the National Energy Utility Affordability Coalition (NEUAC) for its annual conference in New Orleans this week. The event brought together 750 participants from around the U.S. who are engaged in administering federal energy assistance and heightening awareness of the needs of low-income energy consumers.

At the conference, NACWA staff led an Advocacy Update on The Future of Water Assistance at the Federal Level. The session reviewed the current state of play on federal water assistance and facilitated a discussion around some of the key questions currently being considered by stakeholders regarding program structure and funding to inform continued advocacy. Additional water sessions during the conference included presentations from several NACWA member communities who are engaged with NEUAC.

In recent years, NEUAC members have found that the need for water bill relief has grown, and as a result NEUAC has increased its efforts to provide education and advocacy support for water alongside its core mission in the energy sector.

NACWA and NEUAC have worked together since the beginning of the pandemic to advocate and coordinate on advocating for federal low-income water assistance funding. Initial efforts focused on securing funding for the temporary Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP), which secured $1.138 Billion in first-ever funding. This work then pivoted into outreach and engagement around LIHWAP’s implementation.

Now, attention is focusing on advocacy to transition the temporary LIHWAP into a permanent, reliably funded program. NACWA believes that continued coordination with NEUAC is key to successfully achieving this goal.

Contact Kristina Surfus, NACWA’s Managing Director of Government Affairs, with questions or to discuss further.