Need Help Cooling Your Home? These Benefits Can Help

The Cooling Assistance benefit helps eligible households buy and install an air conditioner or fan to help their home stay cool.

• Applications for the 2024-2025 Cooling Assistance Benefit opened on April 15, 2025.
• Cooling Assistance benefits are provided on a first come, first served basis to eligible applicants.
• The benefit is worth:
  • up to $800 for a window, portable air conditioner, or fan
  • up to $1,000 for an existing wall sleeve unit
• The benefit covers:
  • the cost of the air conditioner or fan
  • administrative costs
  • labor
  • program support
  • materials
  • removal of your old unit
  • minor repairs that are needed to safely install the new unit
• Only one air conditioner or fan will be provided per applicant household. No additional HEAP cash benefits are available.

Determine your eligibility

You may be eligible for a Cooling Assistance HEAP benefit if all these apply to you:

1. Your household has at least one of these:
   • Your household’s gross monthly income is at or below the current income guidelines for your household size as posted in the following table, or
   • You receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, or
   • You receive Temporary Assistance (TA), or
   • You receive Code A Supplemental Security Income (SSI Living Alone), or
   • You received a HEAP Regular benefit greater than $21 in the current program year or received a HEAP Regular benefit equal to $21 during the current program year and live in government subsidized housing (like NYCHA or Section 8) with heat included in your rent; and
2. Your household contains at least one of these:
   • At least one person with a documented medical condition that is exacerbated by extreme heat. This must be verified in writing by a physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner; or
   • Someone age 60 or older; or
   • A child under age 6; and
3. A member of your household is a U.S. Citizen or Qualified Non-Citizen; and
4. You currently do not have a working air conditioner or the one you have is at least five years old; and
5. You did not receive a HEAP-funded air conditioner in the last five years.

Read more HERE