Authorizing the Joint Committees on Housing, Neighborhood Development, and the Homeless and on Transportation and Public Utilities to hold hearings to investigate the impacts of unaffordable water bills on residential tenants in Philadelphia and to seek out best practices, policy changes, and new ideas to make water affordability and assistance programs more available for residential tenants.

Authorizing the Joint Committees on Housing, Neighborhood Development, and the Homeless and on Transportation and Public Utilities to hold hearings to investigate the impacts of unaffordable water bills on residential tenants in Philadelphia and to seek out best practices, policy changes, and new ideas to make water affordability and assistance programs more available for residential tenants. WHEREAS, Access to safe and affordable water is essential to live in a home; and WHEREAS, Water rates and charges in Philadelphia can present a hardship for low-income households; and WHEREAS, The Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) and Philadelphia Water Revenue Bureau (WRB) operate water affordability and assistance programs such as the Senior Citizen Discount and Tiered Assistance Program to help eligible customers afford their bills; and WHEREAS, The Utility Emergency Services Fund (UESF) provides grants to help customers who have fallen behind on their water bills; and WHEREAS, In order to qualify for PWD’s and WRB’s water affordability programs or for UESF’s grant assistance, a household must qualify as a customer and have the water bills listed in the name of a household member; and WHEREAS, Tenants living in individually metered dwellings, such as rowhomes, can possibly qualify to be customers with their names listed on the water bills but may face obstacles, including, without limitation: and - The landlord’s lack of an active rental license; - The landlord’s objection to, or la…