A program that provides free air conditioners to New Yorkers across the state will stop taking applications at 5 p.m. Monday, just as the city is enduring its first extreme heat wave of the summer, with life-threatening temperatures around 100 degrees forecast for days.
Advocates for older adults say that puts them at particular risk. A separate program Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Friday to provide free air conditioners only applies to people who have persistent asthma and are enrolled in the state’s Essential Health Insurance Plan, which is only open to people 19 to 64 years old.
Living without an air conditioner is a particular hazard for homebound older adults, said Allison Nickerson, executive director of LiveOn NY, a non-profit that advocates for and provides assistance programs for seniors.
“So it really leaves people with very little options,” Nickerson said. “The city does offer cooling centers, which is phenomenal, but for people who cannot leave their homes, it is a serious concern,” Nickerson said.
A City Hall spokesperson said it is working to protect older New Yorkers during the heat. Deputy Press Secretary William Fowler pointed to “over 300 older adult centers across the city where older residents can stay cool and safe from the heat,” and said the city also helps distribute free air conditioners and fans through its Cooling Assistance program.
“From launching the first-of-its-kind interagency cabinet for older New Yorkers, to building record numbers of affordable senior housing two years in a row, the Adams administration has always prioritized older New Yorkers,” Fowler said in a statement.
More than 500 New Yorkers die prematurely because of hot weather in New York City every year, with lack of access to air conditioning being the leading risk factor, and the highest rates occurring in people ages 60 and older, according to city data. According to the National Integrated Heat Health Information System, older adults are less likely to have or use air conditioners because of the expense of electricity.
Applications for the Cooling Assistance HEAP benefit program, which provides eligible applicants up to $800 for a window air conditioner or $1,000 for a wall sleeve unit, stay open until funds run out each year. The program began taking applications in April.
Earlier this month, Sen. Chuck Schumer warned that President Donald Trump’s plan to cut the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program would mean “many families may be forced to choose between paying for air conditioning and other necessities such as food and medications.” Nickerson said elected officials need to step up to fill the vacuum.
“In recognition that the new York AC program, which is part of the essential plan in New York State, does not include older people, there should be an alternative program for older adults,” she said. “And in recognition that the HEAP program is running out, there should be an alternative.”
Hochul’s office did not reply to emails asking if there are plans to provide further options for seniors.
