How it Works
The Cooling Assistance benefit helps eligible households buy and install an air conditioner or fan up to a cost of $800.
- The deadline to submit applications is August 30, 2020.
- Air conditioners are provided on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible applicants.
- Applicants are only eligible for a Cooling Assistance benefit once every five years.
- If eligible, a household can get only one air conditioner or one fan, and the cost can’t go above $800 including installation fees.
Determine your eligibility
You may be eligible for a Cooling Assistance benefit if:
- You have a medical condition that gets worse with heat, which you can verify with a letter from a medical professional
- You and the people you live with are US citizens or have satisfactory immigration status
- You don’t have a working air conditioner that is newer than five years
- You do not live in subsidized housing, such as NYCHA and Section 8, where heating costs are included in the rent bill
- You meet one of the following income requirements:
- You receive SNAP benefits, Temporary Assistance, or Code A Supplemental Security Income.
- Your family is at or under the income following guidelines.
| Family Size | Income in a year | Income in a month | Income in a week |
| 1 | $29,928 | $2,494 | $576 |
| 2 | $39,144 | $3,262 | $753 |
| 3 | $48,360 | $4,030 | $930 |
| 4 | $57,564 | $4,797 | $1,107 |
| 5 | $66,780 | $5,565 | $1,284 |
| 6 | $75,984 | $6,332 | $1,461 |
| 7 | $77,712 | $6,476 | $1,494 |
| 8 | $79,440 | $6,620 | $1,528 |
| For each additional person, add: | $6,636 | $553 | $128 |
Click here to find out what you need, and for the link to the application
More ways to get help with this program
Visit the website
Visit the NYS OTDA for more information on the Cooling Assistance benefit.
Call 311
Ask for help with the Cooling Assistance benefit.
Call HEAP
Call the HEAP Conference Line at 212-331-3126 if you have questions about Cooling benefit or need help from an operator.
Hi they had called my Mother and the application was processed and they call
That the air conditioner was going to be deliver last week . And. Nobody showed up or called.
Hola necesito Iun aire acondicionado
I am the Resident Services Coordinator at Williamsburg Housing Preservation in Brooklyn NY.
We are currently assisting 1,465 families residing in NYCHA/Section 8 low income housing.
Based on the fact that we are currently assisting a huge community, I need your intervention and assistance in order to get the free A/C units for our residents.
Any help or assistance will be deeply appreciated.
Thanks a lot for your upcoming response.
Respectfully,
Pablo Almonte | Resident Services Coordinator
Reliant Realty Services, LLC
227 Division Ave. 1st Floor| Brooklyn NY 11211
Office: (347) 894-2641 Ext. 2708 | Mobile: (917) 842-5880 |Fax: 347-380-8185
I have a heart condition and had a free GE air conditioner installed last year. Even though HEAP said they pay for an ac up to $800 including installation, he company told me I could only have a 5,000 btu ac installed. The ac that they installed is too small and may be defective. The temp does not go below 73. I am sweating all night. HEAP paid this company $800 for an ac that costs less than $200. Installation for this small ac, which I could do myself, can not possibly cost $600! They refused to give me a larger ac. HEAP is getting ripped off by the contractors they hired to install the ac’s. If you get an ac, fight for the right size that you need, don’t let these companies fraudulently rip you off and the city!!!