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There’s new financial help available for families who are struggling with paying their water bills

Financial help is available for eligible Santa Barbara County residents to help pay their water bills
CommUnify Community Services
Financial help is available for eligible Santa Barbara County residents to help pay their water bills

The new Low Income Household Water Assistance Program can help eligible low-income Santa Barbara County residents who are struggling financially and are unable to afford their water bills.

The new Low Income Household Water Assistance Program can help those who are struggling financially and are unable to afford their water bills.

"It's designed to help pay past due and current charges for waste water and water bills, explained Kemba Lawrence, Program Director of CommUnify’s Community Services department – they are the organization in Santa Barbara County who are providing the payment assistance, which is from a state-funded program.

She explained that they were finding that residents were struggling to pay electrical and gas bills, since the pandemic caused extra financial hardships, and programs existed to help families in need.

"The water also became an issue because of financial burdens," she explained, "So this is an extra program that has been added."

Eligibility requirements and details on how to apply are here.

Caroline joined KCLU in October 2020. She won LA Press Club's Audio Journalist of the Year Award in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Since joining the station she's also won 10 Golden Mike Awards, 6 Los Angeles Press Club Awards, 4 National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards and a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Writing.

She started her broadcasting career in the UK, in both radio and television for BBC News, 95.8 Capital FM and Sky News and was awarded by Prince Philip for her services to radio and journalism in 2007.

She has lived in California for eleven years and is both an American and British citizen - and a very proud mom to her daughter, Elsie.