Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley declares water is a human right

FLINT, Michigan — Noting that under his leadership the City of Flint has never shut off residents’ water for lack of payment, Mayor Sheldon Neeley declared water as a human right during his 2020 State of the City address on Tuesday, Dec. 8.

Under Mayor Neeley’s leadership, the City of Flint has made important progress on several water infrastructure projects that hadn’t even started before he took office and were years behind schedule, including construction of a new chemical feed building, securing a secondary water source, and rehabilitating water reservoirs. 

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Alongside that work, Mayor Neeley has been working to make water more affordable and accessible in Flint. The City of Flint started restoring water to residents as part of its proactive response to COVID-19 more than two weeks before the state ordered such action and the City of Flint created a Water Payment Assistance Fund to provide up to $225 in assistance to help low- and moderate-income families pay their water bills. 

Mayor Neeley also announced that the City is undergoing a water rate study to determine how to make water more affordable to residents. 

“We understand water is a human right and we will continue to push forward, to press forward, to make sure that every resident can afford water that they trust,” Mayor Neeley said. 

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