Mayor Lori Lightfoot (Manuel Martinez/WBEZ)
Program launched in April has already cut water utility bills in half for over 8,500 Chicagoans and set them on the path towards debt forgiveness
CHICAGO – Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and the Department of Finance Comptroller Reshma Soni announced that the City has set aside $8.9 million in potential debt forgiveness for eligible homeowners enrolled in the Chicago Utility Billing Relief (UBR) Program, a debt relief initiative that reduces the cost of water, sewer, and water-sewer tax portions of City utility bills for low-income Chicago residents. Launched in April 2020, the City has already cut in half the water utility bills for 8,539 UBR participants, and the City anticipates setting aside more forgivable utility debt in 2021 as more qualified customers sign up for the program. Additionally, UBR Program enrollees are eligible for total debt forgiveness on their past due balance – an important step in helping residents with a viable