About $22 million is now available for New Yorkers who have medical conditions exacerbated by extreme heat to purchase air conditioning units this summer, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday.
Households with lower incomes that include people with conditions such as arthritis, respiratory conditions and migraines, children under 6 or adults over 60 will be eligible to receive financial assistance from the program, which gives people money to buy and install units at home. It is overseen by the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance and funded through the Home Energy Assistance Program, which is federally funded and state-administered.
Applications will be accepted through August 31 or until funding runs out. The state expects 27,000 households to receive assistance this year, according to Hochul’s office. Last summer more than 21,000 households got units through $17 million in federal help.
However, last year the program ran out of money just 24 days into summer, for the second year in a row. The state office stopped accepting applications on July 14, leaving vulnerable New Yorkers without a solution in extreme heat.
In response, Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance spokesman Anthony Farmer said the agency made a point to earmark an additional $5 million for the program so more people can buy units. It also allowed New Yorkers to begin applying for assistance earlier, on April 15, in the hopes that more people will secure air conditioning before the heat of the summer hits.
“If they’re applying in August, that means they’ve suffered through the heat of the summer already. So we’re trying to get this done ahead of time,” Farmer said.
New Yorkers outside of the city can apply for the financial help by contacting their local department of social services, according to Hochul’s office. City residents must apply by phone, online or in-person at a local Human Resources Administration Benefit Access Center, which can be found throughout the boroughs.
Jacqueline Neber , 2024-04-18 11:33:04
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