Low Income Utility Assistance Program

Temporary Utility Assistance Program

The Temporary Utility Assistance Program was established to provide individuals and families in need temporary assistance with paying their City of Milwaukie utility bill. For purpose of the Temporary Utility Payment Assistance Program, utilities include: water, sanitary sewer, stormwater, and street maintenance.

Funding for this program is provided by the City and will be administered by a non-profit the St Vincent DePaul Society. To launch the program, the City contributed $50,000 to the fund. All donations will be placed into a fund used exclusively for emergency utility assistance. Donations are tax-deductible under section 170(c)(1).

In addition to St Vincent DePaul Society, for a limited time, we have partnered with Clackamas County to provide individuals and families with temporary assistance. Please contact Utility Billing at 503-786-7525 for further information.

Eligibility Requirements

In order to be eligible to receive financial assistance, an individual or family utility customer ("Customer") must meet the following minimum qualifications, in addition to any further eligibility requirements established by City:

Only customer accounts in the name of individual(s) or a family trust where the testators are residents in the dwelling are eligible; LLCs, LLPs, incorporated entities, and the like are not eligible.

1. The utility service address must be within the City of Milwaukie, or the portions of unincorporated Clackamas County served by the City.
2. The utility service is to a single family dwelling or accessory dwelling unit, the customer resides at the dwelling, and the utility account is in the name of the occupant of the dwelling.
3. Customer must show emergency financial need, such as loss of income or unexpected and unusual necessary expense combined with lack of resources to satisfy the need.

Program Restrictions

Customers receiving assistance through the program must comply with the following requirements:

1. The maximum amount of assistance per Customer is limited to $200.00 per month.
2. Customer may not receive program assistance for more than two months within a rolling 12-month period.
3. Assistance is limited to the availability of funds.Request Funds

If you meet the eligibility requirements listed above, please contact the St Vincent DePaul Financial Assistance Hotline to request assistance. Phone: 971-236-2111.

Milwaukie Finance - Low Income Utility Assistance Program

The City of Milwaukie offers residential customers a Low Income Utility Assistance Program which provides a reduced monthly charge for Water, Sewer, Storm, and Street utility charges. The reduced rates are:

• A waiver of the established base charge for water service
• One half of the established billing and administration charge, treatment charge, and volume charge for wastewater (sewer)
• One half of the established base charge and volume charge for stormwater charges
• A waiver of the street maintenance and SAFE fee

To qualify for the reduced rate utility program each of the following conditions must be met:

1. The applicant must be a residential utility customer of the City of Milwaukie.
2. The property must be served by one or more of the following services by the City of Milwaukie: water, wastewater,  storm-water, street maintenance or SAFE fee.
3. The property served must be occupied and used by the applicant as his or her principal residence during the period for which a reduced rate is applied.
4. The applicant must not be delinquent in any payment owed to the City of Milwaukie including utilities, local improvement district assessments, Milwaukie Municipal Court fines or Library fines.
5. The applicant must not exceed the current gross annual household income levels established by the Housing Choice Voucher Program ***.
6. The applicant must make written application on the form provided by the City and must provide all the documentation requested in the application including a copy of  prior year’s Federal income tax return or other supporting income document (i.e., Social Security statements, unemployment statements, etc.). Confidential information such as social security numbers may be redacted by the applicant.

Rate reductions are based on complete billing months and commence on the first bill after the application is approved by the Finance Department. Billings will not be prorated for partial month eligibility. An approved application will remain in effect until the applicant no longer meets the stated qualifications. Re-qualification for the program is required every May after initial qualification.

The Finance Department will notify applicants whose application is denied in writing. An appeal may be addressed in writing to the City Council within ten days from the date of receipt of the notice specifying the grounds for denial.

Income Limits***:

One Person Living Alone:                $ 39,500/yr or 3,291.00./mo
Two People in One Residence:       $ 45,150/yr or 3,763.00/mo
Three persons in One Residence:   $ 50,800/yr or 4,233.00/mo
Four persons in One Residence:     $ 56,400/yr or 4,700.00/mo

If more than four People, click here.
*** Income Limits are adjusted annually to equal the amount designated by the Housing Choice Voucher Program. These amounts are effective 5/15/2023