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Get back to this page: https://access.nyc.gov/programs/cooling-assistance-benefit/
Cash & Expenses
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 opens May 1, 2020. 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 ten 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.
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 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 |
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 or official photo ID
- Birth certificate
- Passport
- Social Security card for dependents
- Social security card or ITIN
- Naturalization certificate
- Adoption records
- Baptismal or another religious certificate
- Marriage records
- Medicaid card
- Official birth records
- Official school records
- Other official record showing birth date
Proof of where you live
For the household, any one document:
- Copy of most recent deed
- Current letter, lease, or rent receipt with your home address from landlord
- Documents from the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)
- Documents 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)
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 months in a row
Cash Assistance
- Cash Assistance budget letter
Income from Rent or Room and Board
- Check stub
- Ledger or rent receipt book
- Letter from roomer, boarder, or 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 or certificate
- Correspondence from NYS Department of Labor
- Bank statement showing the direct deposits
- Copy of the direct payment debit card
- Benefit statement
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
Educational Grants or Loans
- Current award letter
- Current check stub
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:
- US birth certificate
- US passport
- US baptismal certificate
- Official US hospital or doctor records
- Green Card (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
- Sample check
Proof of your disability status
For each person with a disability, any one document:
- Statement from medical professional
- Proof of Social Security Disability (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Proof of school attendance
For each student, any one document:
- School records
- Statement from school
Proof of having health insurance
For each type of insurance of each person with health insurance, any one document:
- Medicare card
Proof of your non-custodial parent information
For each dependent, any one document:
- Death certificate
- Survivor’s benefits
- Divorce papers
- Veteran’s Assistance or military records
Next section:
4. How to apply
Here are your options.
Apply by mail
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
If you received a regular HEAP benefit for $21 or more during the 2019-2020 season:
- Fill out the short application
If you did not apply for the HEAP benefit(s) during the 2019-2020 season or have never applied before:
- Fill out the regular application (the current HEAP application)
- Follow the regular HEAP’s procedure at “APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS” appendix to prove the information you stated on your application
Both applications also need a letter from a medical professional and any three names you choose from the participating Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) vendors in the city.
Apply in person
1. Print and fill out:
- If you received a regular HEAP benefit for $21 or more during the 2019-2020 season, use short application form.
- If you did not apply for the HEAP benefit(s) during the current season but you are currently receiving Temporary Assistance (TA) or SNAP benefits, use the regular application (the current HEAP application).
- Follow the regular HEAP’s procedure at “APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS” appendix to prove the information you stated on your application
2. Gather your personal documents including:
- A letter from a medical professional
- Any three names you choose from the participating Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) vendors in the city.
3. Go to one of the following HRA offices serving as drop-off (mail) boxs to submit your application for Cooling Assistance benefit:
- Manhattan : Waverly Job Center ,
- The Bronx: Rider Job Center , Crotona Job Center ,
- Queens: Queens Job Center, Coney Island Job Center,
- Brooklyn: Clinton Hill Job Center
- Staten Island: Richmond Job Center
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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.