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Published on July 01, 2026
Santa Cruz Municipal Utilities (SCMU) has expanded its Utility Customer Assistance Program (UCAP) to households who live in multi-unit complexes. This expansion provides financial assistance to income-qualifying households within SCMU’s service area whether or not they pay SCMU directly for utility services.
The SCMU Multi-Unit UCAP is one of the first municipal utility customer assistance programs in the nation that extends utility financial support to households living in multi-unit complexes (such programs usually only serve homeowners or account holders). As utility prices rise throughout the nation, municipal utility providers in California struggle to find a means to support financially vulnerable customers given the restraints of CA Prop 218. SCMU has not only identified ongoing funding to create a customer assistance program but has created a program that offers support to households across housing types.
“As the Water Department invests in needed upgrades to aging infrastructure and adapts to a changing climate, we have worked to prioritize affordability. We were proud to have launched the Single-Family UCAP last year and are now thrilled to be able to expand the program to support household living in multi-unit complexes” said Heidi Luckenbach, Director of the Santa Cruz Water Department.
Qualified, enrolled Single-Family UCAP customers receive a monthly discount applied directly to their SCMU bill, while Multi-Unit UCAP households receive a one-time utility assistance check to help offset a portion of their annual SCMU costs that are embedded in their rental fees. UCAP is available to households inside SCMU’s service area (generally Santa Cruz and Live Oak) who have proof of enrollment in a government assistance program, such as CalFresh or Medi-Cal or in PG&E’s CARE program.
SCMU strives to provide high quality services and to help ensure access to those services for our most financially vulnerable community members.
UCAP information and enrollment forms are available in both English and Spanish at the City’s website, via mail or in person at SCMU’s office (212 Locust St.). Additional inquiries should be directed to Megan Bunch, Program Analyst, 831-420-5546.