Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
Q&A
Discussion on expanding access to home air conditioning
1:10:08
ยท
89 sec
Carolyn Olson from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene discusses efforts to expand access to home air conditioning, particularly through the Home Energy Assistance Program. She highlights the challenges and ongoing advocacy for increased funding and program expansion.
- The city has been working to increase resources for the Home Energy Assistance Program, which provides and installs air conditioners for eligible residents
- The program has seen increased uptake in New York City over the past 4-5 years
- Funding limitations have caused the program to close early in the last two years
- Advocacy efforts are ongoing to secure additional funds and expand the program to cover utility costs
Carolyn Olson
1:10:08
Specifically projects around expanding home air conditioning is what you're interested in.
1:10:13
Yeah, we are very much.
1:10:17
So the health department has been working for some time with our partners specifically on trying to increase the resources that are available for the home energy assistance program.
1:10:30
So this is the benefit program that will buy a person and install an air conditioner in their home.
1:10:38
And over the last four to five years, we've done tremendous outreach and increased the uptake of that program in here in New York City.
1:10:47
It's a statewide program and it's federally funded.
1:10:52
However it needs more funding dedicated to it.
1:10:55
So in the last two years the program has closed early, the summer assistance program has closed early because they've run out of dollars, right?
1:11:04
They don't have any more funds.
1:11:07
And so part of what we've done is really done a lot of advocacy with the state to encourage additional funds be put toward that program.
1:11:16
And we also want to see that program expanded to also include utility costs because as you know you can have that air conditioner but if you can't afford to turn it on it's not helping you, right?
1:11:29
So this is really our has been our focus to try to help expand access to home air conditioning.