SERINO ALLOCATES $35,000 TO PROVIDE COOLING ASSISTANCE

to Older Adults and Medically Vulnerable Residents as State Program Funds Run Out

 With temperatures rising and New York State’s Cooling Assistance Program (CAP) funding now depleted, Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino is ensuring local seniors and medically vulnerable residents are not left without relief. Serino is allocating  $35,000 in County funding to provide free window air conditioning units to eligible residents in need.

This program is coordinated jointly by the Dutchess County Office for the Aging and the Department of Community and Family Services. Distribution and installation of the air conditioning units will be handled through the County’s existing contract with Community Action Partnership for Dutchess County.

“Far too many older adults quietly tough out these hot summer days without air conditioning because they simply can’t afford it – and now with the state’s program out of funds, their options are even more limited,” said Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino. “For those living on a fixed income, an air conditioner can feel just out of reach. With this additional funding, we can protect the health of our seniors and medically vulnerable neighbors, and make sure no one gets left behind during dangerous heat.”

New York State’s Cooling Assistance Program, administered through HEAP, typically runs from late spring through August or until funding is exhausted. The County’s supplemental program is modeled after the state initiative and is available to residents who:

• Are 65 years of age or older or have a medical condition worsened by heat
• Meet income eligibility requirements
• Do not currently have a working air conditioner in their home

Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until funding is exhausted. Priority will be given to seniors with medical conditions that may be worsened by extreme heat. Those who have already received a HEAP-funded air conditioner in the last five years will not be eligible.

Eligible seniors can contact the Dutchess County Office for the Aging at 845-486-2555 for more information or to request an application. You can also Download the application form (.pdf).   Please DO NOT MAIL applications.   Applications, with all required documents, may be submitted in person at Dutchess County Office for the Aging, 114 Delafield Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601; by fax at 845-486-2599 or by email to Zoe.Levy-Serrano@dfa.state.ny.us

More information is available online on the Office for the Aging’s webpage: Dutchessny.gov/aging.  For questions, including requests for an application, call the Dutchess County Office for the Aging at 845-486-2555.