Free air conditioners available to low-income, vulnerable New Yorkers
With the dog days of summer just around the corner, Gov. Kathy Hochul's office announced that low-income New Yorkers vulnerable to extreme heat could be eligible for free air conditioners.
Eligible households must include either someone with "a documented medical condition exacerbated by extreme heat," or someone under age 6 or over 60.
To qualify for the federally funded program, applicants must also meet Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) eligibility guidelines and income criteria, which vary by household size.
For example, a household of four can earn up to $65,829 a year, or $5,485 per month, and qualify for assistance under the program, the governor's office said.
Officials expect up to 18,500 households will qualify for the program, which will accept applications starting May 1 and will continue accepting applications through Aug. 31 or until funding runs out.
Assistance is on a first-come, first-served basis, the governor's office said. The program covers the cost of an air conditioning unit and installation, officials said.
Last year more than 23,500 households received assistance.
"The cooling assistance program is a vital lifeline for countless New York families who often face prohibitively expensive cooling costs when temperatures inevitably rise," Hochul said in a statement Tuesday. "As temperatures rise across the state, we are committed to ensuring that low-income and disadvantaged households have the means to stay safe, comfortable, and cool in their own homes."
Residents in Nassau and Suffolk can find HEAP contact information under their county of residence at https://otda.ny.gov/programs/heap/contacts/. New York City residents may apply in person at a local HRA Benefits Access Center, by phone, or online at access.nyc.gov.
John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”
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