For local residents and small business owners facing past due utility bills due to COVID-19, help has arrived at HRUtilityRelief.com. Through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Hampton Roads water and wastewater utilities are providing assistance through a statewide Municipal Utility Relief Program. The local utilities will provide assistance to residents and businesses with COVID-related past due balances through Jan. 27, 2021 or until the funding runs out. Application deadlines may vary, so residents should act quickly.

All Hampton Roads residents and small business owners are urged to apply for this funding today. The process is quick and easy, and can be completed on the phone or through a short online questionnaire. But the time to act is now. Once the funds are gone, they’re gone.

People with overdue direct charges occurring between March 1 - Dec. 30, 2020 for water and wastewater utility bills are eligible for assistance through the Municipal Utility Relief Program. To qualify, residents must self-certify they have experienced COVID-related issues that have caused economic hardship such as:  job layoffs; job loss due to employment closings; reduction in work hours; staying home to care for children due to day care and school closings; and lost child or spousal support. Relief also covers those who have been unable to work or missed work due to contracting COVID-19; unable to find work due to COVID-19; or unable to participate in their previous employment due to a high risk of severe illness.

Depending on their city or county, applicants can verbally apply by phone, or they can submit a short, user-friendly online application. To further streamline the process, the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC) has compiled application information specific to each participating municipality and HRSD at HRUtilityRelief.com.

Please share this information with friends, family members, and neighbors because you never know who may be struggling to make ends meet as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Together we can make the most of this limited-time Municipal Utility Relief Program and provide families and businesses in the 757 a fresh start in the new year. Learn how to apply for assistance in your municipality by visiting HRUtilityRelief.com.