City of Kyle Launches Kyle Cares Grant Program for Emergency Utility Bill Relief

SUMMARY: City of Kyle Launches Kyle Cares Grant Program for Emergency Utility Bill Relief

DATE/TIME: Applications open as of July 22

WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION: cityofkyle.com/kylecares

KYLE, TEXAS – The City of Kyle has launched the Kyle Cares Grant program after City Council approved the funding to help Kyle residential utility customers within city limits have uninterrupted access to utility services — including water, wastewater, solid waste and storm drainage — amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“During a pandemic, utilities like water, wastewater and disposing of trash become more of a necessity — they become an essential if we are going to protect our community,” said Kyle Mayor Pro Tem Rick Koch. “We hope that this program will help Kyle residents that have been financially-impacted by this disease to not lose access to these essential services.”

City’s utility customers to be eligible must meet all requirements identified below to qualify for financial assistance under the City’s Emergency Utility Bill Relief Grant program. Applicant must:

• Be an inside-City residential customer with an active utility account (not account that has been closed) and
• Be the primary individual under whose name the utility account is registered and established and
• Be experiencing a financial hardship due COVID-19 pandemic due to loss of job or reduction in income or
• Be at or below the federal income thresholds for low income as shown below

Applicants must provide:

• proof of income or pay reduction (latest pay stub), or
• proof of approved unemployment claim, or
• a letter from employer confirming business closure, layoff, or reduction in pay due to COVID-19.

Only City of Kyle utility bills issued for utility services for the months of March, April and May 2020 are eligible for the use of grant funds under the Kyle Cares Grant program. Grant funds may be used to cover:

• All utility services provided by and billed for by the City of Kyle which includes utility services for water, wastewater, solid waste and storm drainage;
• monthly service charges for utility services;
• late payment penalties;
• service disconnection fees

The Kyle Cares Grant program does not cover account deposit or other service application or new initiation fees.

“People are having to make cutbacks in lots of areas right now due to job losses, reductions in hours or pay, but there are certain things you just can't cut back on in a pandemic like access to clean water and sanitary trash disposal," Councilmember Robert Rizo said. “By using federal CARES Act grant money, we can help make sure our residents have access to basic essentials in the middle of this public health crisis.”

For more information or to fill out an application for the Kyle Cares Emergency Utility Bill Relief Grant Program, go to cityofkyle.com/kylecares. Paper applications are also available at the Kyle Public Library, 550 Scott St.