NYSHCR: Air Conditioners Available for Low-Income New Yorkers with Serious Medical Conditions

Homes & Community Renewal
Partnering to Improve and Preserve Our Homes and Communities
Commissioner Towns Announces Air Conditioners Available for Low-Income New Yorkers with Serious Medical Conditions At Risk During a Heat Wave

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 20, 2011

New York State Homes and Community Renewal
http://www.nyshcr.org

Contact: Christopher Browne
Deputy Commissioner, Communications & Policy
(212) 872-0679
CBrowne@nyshcr.org

New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner/CEO Darryl C. Towns today announced assistance for low-income New Yorkers whose health issues pose a medical emergency during the extended period of hot weather forecast for the state in the coming days.

"A heat wave is a life and death matter for some New Yorkers with serious underlying medical issues," Commissioner Towns said. "Senior citizens and children are especially susceptible to heat-related illness, and it is important that our most vulnerable know what government is doing to protect them."

"Beating the heat shouldn't break the bank for New Yorkers," said U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer. "I strongly urge eligible families and seniors to take advantage of this program to help lower the costs of cooling their home. As this record breaking heat wave moves across New York, it's absolutely essential that seniors aren't faced with the choice of cooling their home or putting food on the table."

In order to protect vulnerable New Yorkers, New York State has set aside $3 million in funding through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) that will provide air conditioning units for more than 3,700 households.

Eligibility for the program is determined by:

1) LIHEAP low-income guidelines. (For a four-person household, the maximum gross annual income to qualify is approximately $48,000.)

2) Having at least one household member who has been diagnosed with a chronic or acute medical condition which is aggravated by exposure to extreme heat situations.

3) A doctor providing written documentation (dated within the last six months) that air-conditioning assistance is critical to prevent a heat emergency.

Households that have a working air conditioner or have received one from the State in the last 10 years are not eligible.

The cooling program is administered by NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) with funding provided from the federal Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) funds, through the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA).

HCR issued a Request for Proposals to solicit vendors to administer the cooling program on the local level. Twenty-four awardees were selected from across the state, with awards ranging from $1.75 million to serve all of New York City to $15,000 to provide services in smaller Upstate counties.

Under the terms of the grant, one air conditioner will be awarded to an eligible household or dwelling unit; installation and labor are included. Grants do not include an additional HEAP cash benefit to cover the cost of operating the air conditioning unit.

The full list of local cooling program administrators includes:
NYS Homes and Community Renewal
Emergency Cooling Program County Coverage

Saratoga County EOC Inc.  Saratoga, Schenectady, Washington
$60,000 available funding
Missy Palmateer
518-587-3158

Questions regarding HEAP program should be directed to local agencies listed above or the NYS HEAP Hotline at 1-800-342-3009.
Those who want to see if they qualify under HEAP's income guidelines should visit http://www.mybenefits.ny.gov

Other counties information:

Action for a Better Community Inc.
Monroe
$100,000
Shinita Hlywa
585-442-4160

Albany Community Action Partnership
Rensselaer
$20,000
Rachel Greenberg
518-463-3175
ext 139

Bronx Shepherds Restoration Corp.
Putnam, Rockland, Westchester
$125,000
Ileana Ferman
718-299-0500
ext 129

Catholic Charities
Onondaga, Oswego
$125,000
Eleanor Carr
315-424-1810

Cattaraugus Community Action Inc.
Allegany
$10,000
Ken Tomczak
716-945-1041
ext 147

Climate Controllers HVAC
Livingston
$10,000
Cheryl Hauff
585-226-2474

Columbia Opportunities Inc.
Columbia
$10,000
Sophie Lalumia
518-828-4611

ComLinks
Clinton, Essex, Franklin
$30,000
Mary Ann Durham
518-483-1261
ext 1031

Community Action of Orleans and Genesee
Genesee, Orleans
$14,500
James Soccio
585-589-5605

Community Action Planning Council of Jefferson County
Jefferson
$15,000
Ken Flint
315-788-4388

Community Environmental Center Inc.
New York City (Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens, Richmond),
Nassau, Suffolk
$1,775,000
Olga Souto
718-512-0580

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Albany County
Albany
$47,500
Sherri Calabrese
518-765-3535

Delaware Opportunities Inc.
Delaware, Sullivan
$22,500
Joe Maggiore
607-746-1690

Fulmont Community Action Agency Inc.
Fulton, Montgomery
$19,000
Kimberley Andrews
518-853-8359

Gene's Heating and Air Conditioning
Steuben
$14,500
Gene Rose
607-937-3710
or
607-368-1951

Lewis County Opportunities
Lewis
$10,000
Jolynne Brinkley
315-376-8202
ext 242

Mohawk Valley Community Action Agency, Inc.
Herkimer, Oneida
$20,000
Kristen Brown
315-624-9930
ext 298

New Buffalo Impact
Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Niagara, Wyoming
$235,000
Brian Paterson
716-881-1477

North East Home Improvement
Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Ulster
$122,500
Jackie Chapman
845-452-5104
ext 103 or ext 108

ProAction of Steuben and Yates Inc.
Yates
$5,000
Laurie Mault
607-776-2125
or
1-800-553-2033
  
Schoharie County Community Action Program Inc.
Otsego, Schoharie
$14,750
Kelly Pitt
518-234-2568
or
1-866-849-2402

St Lawrence County Community Development Program, Inc.
St Lawrence
$14,750
Gerald Snell, Jr
315-386-1102

Stoneleigh Housing Inc.
Madison
$10,000
David Trexler
315-697-3737

Tioga Opportunities Inc.
Broome, Chenango, Tioga
$60,000
Kristen Severi
607-687-0944
ext 310
or
1-877-786-2419
ext 310

Tompkins Community Action
Cayuga, Chemung, Cortland, Schuyler, Seneca, Tompkins
$77,500
Stacey Murphy
607-273-8816

Warren-Hamilton Counties CAA
Hamilton, Warren
$10,000
Andy Pritchard
518-793-0636

Wayne County Action Program Inc.
Ontario, Wayne
$22,500
Steven Watrous
315-483-8761

I think this is an admirable cause. But what exactly constitutes a 'serious medical condition'? And will the recipients or the government be responsible for maintenance should one break down?

Admirable cause, yes,   Sad that the taxpayers are going to have to pay for it.  

Now here is something that Proctors should foot the bill for.    Come on, WHY WHY WHY did Proctors have to steal from the taxpayers for AC in the theater?   How many decades was there none, but they just had to steal from the taxpayers to put it in.  People existed without it before.   Proctors got millions upon millions upon millions of tax dollars to expand, it is not a charity, it does not serve the poor (does it put the Lion King on for poor children for free?   hell NO!!!!!!)    It is a for-profit theater NO DIFFERENT than any Broadway theater.  AND it has this catering businesses catering to the rich, thus raking in the big bucks, not to mention the other rents.  Rental income is FOR PROFIT BUSINESS INCOME, but Proctors does NOT pay taxes......and Morris thinks only of himnself.....it is should be his duty to provide air conditioners to the poor with medical needs in the city and to provide free lunches to poor children.

If Morris spends money on the less fortunate with medical conditions for air conditioners then how will he ever get rich and live in the style that he has gotten accustomed to IMHO?

Like I said..............what contitutes a 'serious illness'???

This must be free money floating around.....cause it has been hot in the summer in nys for centuries. Why now all of a sudden?

Quoted from Shadow

If Morris spends money on the less fortunate with medical conditions for air conditioners then how will he ever get rich and live in the style that he has gotten accustomed to IMHO?

        Apparently the not so fortunate already helped themselves to Proctors from the robbery, or at least it was made to look like that . . . .

Quoted from bumblethru

Like I said..............what contitutes a 'serious illness'???

This must be free money floating around.....cause it has been hot in the summer in nys for centuries. Why now all of a sudden?

Because folks are living longer, many of the elderly have lung conditions after years of working in factories.  Also for reasons unknown to me there is an increase in asma.  This is a deadly disease.  I lost a dear friend in his 20's from it.

We seem to have an increase in those "air quality alerts" in recent years. When I was growing up, I don't remember the air getting hazy and dirty every time it got really hot, but it does now.