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Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) recommending the Board adopt and authorize the Chair to sign Resolution 075-2022 to:
1) Delegate authority to the Director of HHSA, or designee, to accept the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) funding, and to execute the Funding Agreement 21Z-9554 (County Agreement 6540), the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) Form, and the Lobbying Form, with the California Department of Community Services and Development (CSD) for the provision of LIHWAP services to eligible residents of El Dorado and Alpine counties for a retroactive term beginning April 1, 2022 through August 31, 2023, in the initial amount of $107,960; and
2) Authorize the Director of HHSA or their designee to administer said agreement and subsequent amendments, if any, contingent upon approval by County Counsel, and to further authorize the Director of HHSA or the HHSA Agency Chief Fiscal Officer to execute any required fiscal and programmatic reports.
FUNDING: 100% Federal Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) Funding.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND:
On December 27, 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act was signed into law and appropriated $638 million to the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP). Additionally, on March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act appropriated $500 million to LIHWAP.
The federal LIHWAP funds are administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the California Department of Community Services and Development (CSD), as designated by Governor Newsom, and passed down to local governmental agencies. LIHWAP is a new federally funded program that assists income-eligible households with payment assistance toward their water and wastewater bill arrearages.
On January 25, 2022, CSD released their LIHWAP final program design overview, which incorporates an intermediary contractor to directly reimburse water agencies for the exp...
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