ACTION REQUESTED:
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Communication from the City Manager and Director of Community Development with a Request to APPROVE the Application and Program Guidelines for the 2022 UTILITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
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BACKGROUND: One of the items discussed at the Policy Session on August 16 was a new program to provide assistance to low-income families in response to the rising costs of Ameren bills.
Attached are the draft application and program guidelines for this program. The program would provide $150 in assistance for qualified households for four months. With $300,000, the City could provide this assistance to 500 households.
The program would be available to both homeowners and renters within the City of Peoria. Applicants must submit income documentation for all household members and be at 80% Area Median Income (AMI) by household size. The Ameren bill must be in the name of a household member.
Households receiving other ongoing assistance, such as LIHEAP, or living in public housing are not eligible to receive assistance.
If the City receives more than 500 applications, a lottery will be held to determine the 500 households that will be selected. Any additional applicants will be placed on a wait list and will move up the list if any selected household does not qualify.
Below is the proposed timeline for the program:
Monday, September 19: Application Opens
Friday, October 7 at 2 PM: Application Closes
Tuesday, October 11 at 10AM: Lottery held if needed
November Utility bills paid by the City in December and continue for four months
Applications will be collected through the online application portal Neighborly. For those without internet access, they may also come by City Hall to pick up an application or call to request one be mailed to them.
After the households are selected, City staff will begin to contact selected households to notify of selection or request any missing documentation. Applicants will be given a deadline to submit missing ...
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