Amid Heat Wave, Eligible New Yorkers Can Apply for State’s Air Conditioner Subsidy—For Now

From City Limits:

While last year’s temperatures were among the highest on record for New York City, another red-hot summer is in the cards for 2024: the season’s first heat wave is expected to hit this week, officials warned.

The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)’s cooling assistance benefit has been key to helping tens of thousands of New Yorkers combat the heat. The federally-funded initiative, operated by the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA), helps low-income people purchase and install a fan or air conditioner at a cost of up to $1,000.

But experts and advocates say it could do more. They’ve criticized the program’s limited reach—funding has run out by mid– to late-July the last two summers—and its failure to grant complementary utility bill assistance. They say it may be struggling to keep up with the increasingly urgent needs of some of the most vulnerable, like seniors.