New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced in mid-April that the state will provide approximately 22 million dollars to help low-income families combat the sweltering summer heat by subsidizing the purchase of air conditioning units. This aid is especially targeted towards individuals with specific medical conditions, including arthritis, respiratory system diseases, and migraines, as well as households with children under 6 years old and seniors over 60.
The initiative is overseen by the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA), with funding from the federally supported Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP). The Governor’s office stated that this year, it is expected that 27,000 households will benefit from this program, an increase of 6,000 households from the previous year.
According to PIX11, eligible New Yorkers can receive a subsidy of up to $800 for purchasing window or portable air conditioning units or fans, including installation costs for window air conditioners. Users of existing wall-mounted air conditioners can receive a subsidy of up to $1,000.
Each household is limited to installing one air conditioner, and the household must be eligible for or already receiving HEAP benefits. Members of the household must be “U.S. citizens” or have “qualifying immigrant status.” Additionally, the household must have an air conditioner that is either broken or has been in use for five years or more.
You can find the complete list of eligibility requirements (including income requirements) at:
https://otda.ny.gov/programs/heap/#cooling-assistance
If you are interested, you can apply for assistance on ACCESS HRA at:
https://a069-access.nyc.gov/accesshra/
Last year, due to funds quickly running out, many families were unable to receive assistance in a timely manner. The state government has allocated an additional 5 million dollars in special funds this year and allowed people to apply starting on April 15th, enabling more individuals to install air conditioning units before the hot weather arrives.