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Cash & Expenses
Updated Financial help to cover the cost and installation of an air conditioner or fan
Cooling Assistance Benefit | NYC Human Resources Administration
1. 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 Cooling Assistance benefit opened May 3, 2021. The deadline to submit applications is August 31, 2021.
- 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.
- The benefit is not applied to an electric bill or issued as a cash benefit.
Next section:
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.
Visit Cooling Centers throughout the city
New York City opens cooling centers in air-conditioned public facilities for those experiencing physical discomfort in a heat wave.
2. 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 received a Regular HEAP benefit greater than $21 in the current program year or reside in government subsidized housing with heat included in your rent
- 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 following income guidelines.
| Household Size | Maximum Gross Monthly Income |
| 1 | $2,610 |
| 2 | $3,413 |
| 3 | $4,216 |
| 4 | $5,019 |
| 5 | $5,822 |
| 6 | $6,625 |
| 7 | $6,775 |
| 8 | $6,926 |
| 9 | $7,077 |
| 10 | $7,227 |
| 11 | $7,378 |
| 12 | $7,755 |
| For each additional person, add | $560 |
Next section:
3. What you need to include
It’s important to include the right documents when you apply. Your documents show whether the program is right for you.
This page can help you choose the right documents for your application.
Proof of who you are
For each person applying, any one document:
- Driver’s License
- Photo ID
- US Passport or Naturalization Certificate
- Adoption Papers, Hospital or Doctor’s Records
- School Records
Or for each person applying, any two documents:
- Birth Certificate or Baptismal certificate
- Validated Social Security Card
- Statement from another person
Proof of where you live
For the household, any one document:
- Copy of most recent deed
- Current letter, lease, or rent receipt with home address from landlord
- Documentation from the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)
- Documentation from the New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA)
- Driver license issued within past six months
- Homeowners insurance policy
- ID card with address
- Lease signed by both landlord and tenant
- Property tax records or mortgage statements
- Statement from an employer or social services agency
- Statement from non-relative landlord
- Utility bill (gas, electric, or water)
Or for the household, any two documents:
- Statement from another person
- Current mail
- School records
Proof of your income
For each income source of each income earner, any one document:
Wages & Salary
- Letter from employer on company letterhead, signed and dated
- Paycheck stubs (from the last four weeks in a row that you worked)
- Business records
Self-employment
- Business records of earnings and expenses for the most recent three consecutive months
- Filed federal tax return for the current year
Cash Assistance
- Cash Assistance budget letter
Income from rent or room and board
- A cashed/deposited check
- Ledger / Rent Receipt Book
- Letter from roomer boarder tenant
Military Pay
- Current award letter
- Current check stub
Child Support or Alimony
- Alimony check stub
- Child support check stub
- Letter from court
- Letter from person providing support
Unemployment Income
- Award letter/ certificate
- Correspondence from NYS Dept. of Labor
- Benefit Statement (available on Internet)
Social Security benefits (SSI, Dependent, Disability, Survivor’s, or Retirement)
- Current award letter or certificate
- Current benefit check
Worker’s Compensation
- Current award letter
- Current check stub
Veteran’s Benefits
- Current award letter
- Current benefit check stub
Pensions, Annuities, or IRA
- Statement from pension or annuity
Interest, Dividends, or Royalties
- 1099-DIV
- 1099-INT
- Statement from bank, credit union or financial institution
Support from Family Members
- Copies of canceled checks from family member
- Signed statement or letter from family member
Proof of your expenses
For each expense, any one document:
Dependent Care Costs
- Court order
Shelter Expenses
- Current rent receipt
- Current lease
- Mortgage records
- Property tax records
- Sewer and water bills
- Fuel bills
- Utility bills
Proof of citizenship/immigration status
For each person applying, any one document upon request from HRA:
- US birth certificate
- US passport
- US baptismal certificate
- Official US hospital or doctor records
- Green Card (INS form I-551) (copy of the front and back)
- Naturalization certificate
- Employment Authorization Card (I-688B or I-766)
- INS I-210 letter
- Memorandum of Creation of Record of Lawful Permanent Residence: INS form I-181
- INS form I-220B
- Arrival-Departure Record Card: INS form I-94
- Other INS documents, or correspondence to or from the INS, that shows that you are living in the US with the knowledge and permission of the INS
Proof of your resources
For each resource of each resource holder, any one document:
- Bank books
- Bank statement
- Burial agreement or burial insurance
- Copies of stocks, bonds, or securities
- Credit union records
- Deed or appraisal for real estate
- Bank or dividend statements
- Statements from institution where funds are deposited or managed
Proof of your disability status
For each person with a disability, any one document:
- Proof of Social Security Disability (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Proof of your medical condition
For each person in the household with a medical condition exacerbated by extreme heat
- A written medical documentation from a physician, physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner on a medical or doctor’s office letterhead and must be dated within the last 12 months. It must clearly state the patient’s medical condition and must have the recommendation that an air-conditioner is needed.
Next section:
4. How to apply
Here are your options.
Apply by mail
- You can apply for a Cooling Assistance benefit when it is in season starting May 3rd, 2021.
- Please call the HEAP Conference Line at 212-331-3126 to request an application.
- You can then mail your Cooling Assistance benefit application to:
New York City Home Energy Assistance Program
P.O. Box 1401, Church Street Station
New York, NY, 10008- When you submit your application, you need a letter from a medical professional and select three vendors from the electronic participating vendors list (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) vendors) in the city.
Apply in person
You can go to one of the following HRA offices serving in-person, or with drop-off boxes to submit your application for Cooling Assistance benefit:
- Manhattan : Waverly Job Center
- The Bronx: Rider Job Center, Crotona Job Center
- Queens: Senator Leroy Comrie Senate District Office (drop-off only), Queens Job Center
- Brooklyn: Boro Park Jewish Community Council (drop-off only), Coney Island Job Center
- Staten Island: Richmond Job Center
When you submit your application, you need a letter from a medical professional. You will also need to select three vendors from the electronic participating vendors list (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) vendors) in the city.
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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.
Visit Cooling Centers throughout the city
New York City opens cooling centers in air-conditioned public facilities for those experiencing physical discomfort in a heat wave.
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