DETROIT (WWJ) – A moratorium on water shutoffs in the city of Detroit is set to expire at the end of the month and a coalition of civil rights groups is hoping to prevent that from happening.
The moratorium, which went into effect at the height of the pandemic as a way to help residents struggling to pay their bills, expires on Dec. 31, but city officials say residents enrolled in the new Lifeline Plan or the 10/30/50 Plan will see the moratorium continue.
Any residents who still need help paying can seek assistance from the city, while all other residents with past due balances and the ability to pay will see the moratorium lifted at the turn of the calendar, according to the city.
In the meantime, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, Legal Defense Fund and Michigan Poverty Law Program have filed a motion in federal court to extend the current moratorium.
An ongoing lawsuit alleges the shutoffs violate due process, equal protection, the Fair Housing Act and state law.
“Although the City of Detroit created a water affordability program called Lifeline that officials claim exempts enrollees from shutoffs, some residents have not been able to enroll and are uncertain if they qualify for the program,” ACLU officials said in a press release. “Other issues related to the program are likely to leave many water customers unprotected from the threat of loss of water service.”
Mark P. Fancher, ACLU of Michigan Racial Justice Project staff attorney, said in a statement that “clean running water should flow in all Detroit households beyond 2022 as well as become affordable for everyone.”
He says the lawsuit shows that water shutoffs are “devastating to poor families, with a particular impact on Black families in violation of civil rights laws.”
DWSD officials say about 20,000 Detroit households are eligible for the Lifeline Plan, which offers fixed monthly rates, between $18 to $56, based on income and how much water a household uses, according to a report from the Detroit Free Press. The plan caps water usage at 4,500 gallons a month. More information on the plan, including how to enroll can be found by calling Wayne Metro at (313) 386-9727 or visiting www.waynemetro.org/dwsdlifeline/.
The 10/30/50 Plan is a payment arrangement for residents and businesses without income restrictions. It requires customers to make a down payment on their past due balance and spreads out the debt up to 24 months, along with regular monthly bills. For more information on the plan can be found on the city’s website or by calling DWSD at (313) 267-8000.
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