Across New York State, renters and homeowners struggle to pay their bills. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused financial hardship for many New Yorkers, who have to make difficult choices between paying for basic needs like rent and health care and paying utility bills. To partially address this New York State created temporary laws to protect access to water during the public health emergency. But many New Yorkers don’t know these laws exist and living without water or living with the threat of having their water shut-off.

To protect access to water for low-income New Yorkers during and after the pandemic, the Public Utility Law Project (PULP), Public Access Design Fellow, Arthur Kim, and CUPcollaborated on Trouble With Your Water Bill? 

The guide explains the different types of water companies, the different rights people have depending on their water company, and the practical steps New Yorkers can take to keep their water on or correct a wrongful shut-off. With this information, New Yorkers. With this information, New Yorkers can claim their rights to water access now and in the future.

PULP will launch Trouble With Your Water Bill? during a webinar at the Rural Housing Coalition of New York’s annual conference. This guide will be distributed through PULP’s technical assistance programs and through legal services organizations, housing rights advocates, and elected officials.