CINCINNATI — Cincinnati residents impacted by the federal government shutdown can get their water bills paused temporarily, Greater Cincinnati Water Works and the mayor's office announced Friday.
The bill pause is available for SNAP beneficiaries and furloughed federal workers during the ongoing government shutdown.
Residents should call GCWW at 513.591.7700 and be ready to provide documentation of either a copy of an EBT card for SNAP beneficiaries, or a copy of an official furlough notice for federal workers.
Starting today, the city and GCWW will also implement a moratorium on utility disconnections for nonpayment for residents who qualify for the bill pause. That moratorium will stay in effect until the federal government shutdown, which is the longest in U.S. history, comes to an end.
"The chaos in Washington is causing direct harm to some of our most vulnerable residents," Mayor Aftab Pureval said in a press release. "Nobody should have to decide between food for their families or basic utilities. We're grateful that our administration and Water Works were ready to act quickly to provide temporary relief for our neighbors facing this difficult moment."
In Hamilton County alone, 97,000 residents rely on SNAP, with 45% being children.
We've been reporting on the impacts the loss of SNAP benefits in November have had on residents in the Tri-State area. Area food pantries have stepped up to fill the needs for families who are going without benefits, but they've seen a rise in demand since the start of the month.
Officials with the Freestore Foodbank told us its pantries are seeing an influx of customers overall — not just SNAP recipients.
“You know, some of the families are gonna be new to us. These are families that have been furloughed or laid off,” said Kurt Reiber, CEO and President of the Freestore Food Bank. “So many families are living paycheck to paycheck in the 20 counties served by the Freestore that when they miss a paycheck, some things start to slip.”
