Latest news with #HEAP
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
How to sign up for a free air conditioner in New York City
NEW YORK (PIX11) — With temperatures starting to reflect the fast-approaching summer season, New Yorkers are encouraged to take advantage of the Cooling Assistance benefit that opened on April 15. The benefit provides eligible households with financial assistance to help cover the cost of installing an air conditioner or fan. More Local News Eligible New Yorkers can get up to $800 in cash for a window or portable air conditioner unit or fan, including installation. Those with an existing wall sleeve unit can get up to $1,000. Only one air conditioner or fan will be provided per applicant household. The household's gross monthly income is at or below the current income guidelines for your household size as posted in the following table (see below), or you are enrolled in one of the following programs: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Temporary Assistance (TA) Code A Supplemental Security Income (SSI Living Alone) You receive a regular benefit equal to or more significant than $21 in the current program year and reside in government-subsidized housing with heat included in your rent. The household contains at least one individual with a documented medical condition that is exacerbated by extreme heat. The household contains a vulnerable member based on age (60 years or older or children under age 6), which meets all other component eligibility criteria. A member of your household is a United States Citizen or Qualified Non-Citizen. You currently do not have a working air conditioner, or the air conditioner you have is five years old or older. You have not received a HEAP-funded air conditioner within the past five years. Household Size Maximum Monthly Gross Income for 2024-2025 1 $3,322 2 $4,345 3 $5,367 4 $6,390 5 $7,412 6 $8,434 7 $8,626 8 $8,818 9 $9,010 10 $9,201 11 $9,393 12 $9,585 13 $9,952 For each additional person Add $672 You can apply for benefits in the following ways: Call 718-557-1399 and HEAP will provide more information about eligibility, the application process, and required documentation. New Yorkers can apply in person at one of the locations listed here. New Yorkers can also apply online here. Anyone planning to apply for a free air conditioner will need to provide proof of residence, income, identity, social security and medical conditions. Ben Mitchell is a digital content producer from Vermont who has covered both local and international news since 2021. He joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
Carthage woman charged with alleged $40,000 in welfare fraud
WATERTOWN, N.Y. (WWTI) – A 38-year-old Carthage woman is facing multiple charges after allegedly stealing $40,000 in assistance that she wasn't entitled to. According to the Watertown Police Department, they charged Shannon Ball with a number of felony charges: Third-degree welfare fraud Third-degree grand larceny First-degree offering a false instrument for filing Misuse of food stamps Authorities allege that Ball lied about her household income on applications for SNAP, or food stamp, benefits. It was also alleged that she lied about this information on HEAP or Home Energy Assistance Program, applications. Ball was arraigned in Watertown City Court and released. Watch: Man gets 20th impaired driving arrest while allegedly driving drunk in Ohio Flash flooding forces evacuation of elementary school, fire station in western Maryland Not Just Lyme: Two other tick-borne illnesses quickly spreading in CNY Mexico opposes proposed US tax on remittances 'Love Island' contestant charged with domestic violence in Salt Lake City Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Life after strike: Former Collins Corrections officer speaks out
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — A former corrections officer said there were dangerous working conditions, horrible policies, and retaliation against staff who held the line at Collins Correctional Facility. Cain Luther, who served as a CO for over ten years, said the problems that they were standing up for had been happening years before the wildcat strike. In his view, there was a toxic culture, ineffective discipline, and the state was unreceptive to their complaints inside New York State Prisons. The former CO said everything changed once the HALT Act was implemented. The act was a testament to reforming solitary confinement practices. While state officials argued the law was a step towards more humane treatment for the incarcerated, Luther claimed the inside of NYS facilities is anything but that. 'The first letter in HALT stands for 'humane,'' Luther said. 'But there's nothing humane about what's happening in there. Guys are overdosing in front of you, flopping on the ground, puking on themselves—and there's no meaningful discipline anymore. Five years ago, that would have been a violation. Now? We carry them to the infirmary, and they're back on the unit later that shift.' According to Luther, the HALT Act has stripped COs of their ability to enforce rules, even with minor consequences. He explained that when inmates would smoke before the HALT Act, it would be a violation. But that has changed. 'Now they laugh at you,' Luther said. 'You write the misbehavior ticket, they say, 'waste your ink.' That's what we're dealing with.' He described the inside of the facilities being filled with thick smoke in housing units. Luther also said there were unknown chemicals in the air, which have caused him symptoms such as headaches, eye irritation, and dizziness — all hitting within minutes of stepping into a unit. Weeks after the strike, Luther shared that the conditions for current COs are still awful, with them being locked into 12-hour shifts, and the common practice of shift swapping has been eliminated. Many corrections officers who participated in a recent strike, according to Luther, are now being punished for it. He is one of several former employees who claim they've been blackballed from future employment, denied unemployment benefits, and cut off from programs like SNAP and HEAP. 'They're doing whatever they can to make things hard for us,' he said. One former officer, Dave Hilberger, who was a friend of Luther's, passed away on April 9 in the Groveland Correctional Facility. Luther believes his death could have been prevented. 'Dave had been feeling sick for a week, but he couldn't call out. They'd mark you AWOL,' Luther said. 'And this was someone who'd been asking for help publicly for months, saying 'we're tired, we need help.' But no one listened.' More than 2,000 New York State corrections officers were terminated after the wildcat strike that ended March 10 earlier this year. Now, many are claiming that they were wrongfully terminated. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
How HEAP can get low-income New Yorkers air conditioning
NEW YORK (ABC22/FOX44) – New Yorkers can now apply to receive free air-conditioning through the Home Energy Assistance Program. Low-income individuals that meet HEAP's threshold may get a fan or cooling unit, with installation, using one Cooling Assistance benefit. Only one air conditioner or fan per applicant household can be provided. Those who are eligible include people with medical conditions that worsen from heat, individuals that receive Temporary Assistance and more. Applications opened Tuesday, April 15. Benefits are provided on a a first come, first served basis. Additional information on how to apply can be found on the HEAP website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Deadline for HEAP fuel assistance applications is April 30
BOSTON, Mass. (WWLP)– Many Massachusetts residents saw a steep increase in energy costs this winter, with some struggling to pay those bills. Eligible Massachusetts residents still have time to apply for the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP). Households do not need to be on public assistance or have unpaid bills to qualify. It is open to both renters and homeowners. LIST: April snow showers bring totals to western Massachusetts The program sends a one-time payment directly to the heating provider. The funding is made available through a grant and does not have to be repaid. Residents can find out if they are eligible and apply online, or contact their local administering agency. The application deadline is Wednesday, April 30, 2025, for the 2024-2025 winter heating season. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
