Summer HEAP Applications Are Now Open – What You Need to Know

HEAP applications to keep your home cool this summer are now open. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a federal program that helps residents keep their homes cool and heated throughout the year.

New York’s cooling assistance applications opened on April 15th – roughly two weeks after the Trump administration laid off the entire federal HEAP staff as part of broader federal layoffs from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

New York gets more LIHEAP funding than any other state, administering more than $397 million last year to help New Yorkers cover utility costs, provide free air conditioners, and resolve emergency repairs.

“We receive the most federal dollars for this program by far, and that has huge implications for how low-income residents will manage not only their utility bills in a time when we see increasing rates and we see exposure to extreme temperatures, but also how they’re gonna manage their ability to stay warm or stay cool when those temperatures spike,” said Eric Walker, Energy Justice Senior Policy Manager for WE ACT for Environmental Justice, a nonprofit pushing for equitable environmental policies.

Walker added that keeping homes cooled or heated has never felt more urgent due to climate change’s extreme temperatures. Exposure to extreme heat is the number one driver of weather health-related deaths, Walker says.

Despite the federal layoffs, the state’s HEAP applications remain open. Program funding is first-come, first-serve until the funds dry up. Locally, Sullivan County Commissioner John Liddle has been encouraging residents to get their applications in early.

“We’re expecting the program will probably exhaust funds early to mid-June,” said Liddle.

HEAP eligibility depends on several criteria, including household income, household size, and if a household member is under 6 years old, over 60 years old, or disabled. The type of heat a home uses also matters.

Liddle said his department is pushing early applications to avoid residents being left without air conditioning in the peak of summer.

“Now is definitely the time to apply to make sure that you can receive that benefit.”

Ready to apply for HEAP? Residents outside of New York City can apply online or by visiting or calling their local HEAP district contacts .

Image: A white thermostat with temperature information displayed (Photo Credit: Kimberly Izar)