Free Air Conditioning For The Powerless
A New York State program is offering many people who live in poverty money to buy air conditioning. The cost to those who qualify is zero.
The Cooling Assistance Benefit program provided money for electricity, some heating oils, and natural gas. The yardstick for those who qualify is specific and relies on information from tax documents and income verification.
State officials said, “If you are eligible, you may receive one Cooling Assistance benefit per applicant household for the purchase and installation of an air conditioner or a fan to help your home stay cool.”
Several days this year, the heat index rose above 100 degrees F in New York City. Another period of high temperatures is expected next week.
There is a great deal of evidence that when temperatures are above 90 degrees for several days, many people start to get sick, which often manifests itself as heat stroke. People need to be taken to emergency rooms, which are overflowing.
Who Gets Air Conditioning?
During periods of high temperatures, AC use spikes at homes, in businesses, and cars. The groups least likely to have access are the poor who live indoors and the homeless. Often, indoor temperatures are actually higher than those outdoors, as walls retain heat. DPA International confirms this, saying that people who are inside during a heat wave are often worse off than those who are outside. “But for many people, especially those who lack access to air-conditioning, temperatures inside can become dangerous…”
This program is part of a public service in New York. However, New York City is not among the US cities that have the longest stretch of temperatures above 90 degrees, which is considered a dangerous level. The cities where people need a program like this one are places that include Las Vegas and Phoenix, where 100-degree days are not unusual.
Of course, a critical element to this program is whether the hottest days also bring blackouts. It has happened in NYC before, and no one had air conditioning.
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