Los Angeles DWP to end water and power shutoffs for low-income customers who can’t pay the bills | May 25, 2019 | Michael Morisy
In this week’s Los Angeles Times, the DWP says it will end water and power shutoffs for residents who cannot afford to pay the bill — a move aimed at helping low-income customers get financial help from their landlords.
I’m the water and power shutoff policy editor. I’m also the government watchdog reporter for Westword. My work has been featured in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Politico Magazine, The Los Angeles Free Press, and more. I’ve been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize four times.
This week’s Los Angeles Times magazine includes many more stories to read. I’ve highlighted a few which you may find interesting.
Los Angeles DWP to end water and power shutoffs for low-income customers who can’t pay the bills
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power will end mandatory water shutoffs for people who can’t pay their bills, the city announced Friday. The change was made in a move to reduce costs for city water customers in areas that have historically been among the best customers of the city’s water system.
The agency hopes the change will cut residential water usage by about an average of one-third in the next four to five years, saving DWP over $2 billion annually through the savings.
The Los Angeles Times Magazine includes many more stories to read. I’ve highlighted a few which you may find interesting.
As the city continues to add thousands of public housing residents to the housing crisis, some of them are going without heat or water, or are paying far too much for the privilege of remaining in the neighborhood.
Most recently, The Los Angeles Times Magazine included a story about a resident who went without heat in her single-wide for more than a month. The story also includes one about another resident who is being charged over $30,000 for water and electric utility service. (Click to read the stories.)
The Los