Summer Crisis Cooling Program Begins July 1

HAMILTON – Supports to Encourage Low-income Families (SELF) is again offering eligible households a chance to combat heat-related health problems with the Summer Crisis Cooling Program. However, due to drastic funding cuts at the state level, SELF’s Summer Crisis Cooling program will be extremely limited this year.
 
The program normally helps elderly, disabled, or other qualified low-income households to receive a window air conditioning unit and/or assistance with a current utility bill. This year the Summer Crisis Cooling program begins later, July 1, and will end August 31 or before that if all resources are spent. In addition, the program will only be able to provide assistance with utility payments; no air conditioners will be available. Households containing a member who is age 60 or older may qualify for help with an electric bill up to $100 if that household has income at or below 175 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. Residents of any licensed medical facility, publicly operated community residences, boarding/rooming houses, group homes or emergency shelters are not eligible. 
 
Households with individuals who are under the age of 60 but who meet income guidelines may also qualify for assistance with an electric bill, but they must have documentation from a physician stating that the health of a household member benefits from maintaining electrical service. 
 
Because funding is extremely limited, only complete applications will be processed. Funds will not be reserved for those who made appointments but did not have all of the required materials at the time of their appointment and thus have incomplete applications. Because of this, it is critical that those who make an appointment provide all necessary documentation at the appointment, including:

  • Proof of all household income for the last 13 weeks or 12 months if receiving disability pay;
  • If the applicant is not 60 years or older, he or she must provide a doctor’s statement stressing the need for electrical service because of health benefits;
  • Child support printout if child support is received;
  • Picture ID;
  • Social Security cards for all household members; and
  • Dates of birth for all household members.
 Appointments will be accepted beginning on June 17, 2008 on a first-come, first-served basis. To make an appointment for assistance in Middletown, call 1-888-432-7022. For appointments in Hamilton or Oxford, call 868-9300. While SELF will be accepting a very limited number of walk-ins on Tuesdays at our Hamilton location, appointments are strongly urged. Walk-ins will only be seen on Tuesdays, and there is no guarantee that those without appointments will be seen. No walk-ins will be seen in Middletown or Oxford.
 
SELF’s Summer Crisis Cooling Program is the summer counterpart to an Emergency Home Energy Assistance Program that assisted more than 2,912 countywide last winter – the second highest number in SELF’s history.
 
“The number of households we assisted last winter is a direct reflection of rising fuel prices and the worsening energy crisis,” said Jeffrey Diver, executive director at SELF.
  
SELF helps low-income individuals and families obtain employment, maintain employment and build assets to achieve self-sufficiency. SELF provided services to a record number of families, nearly 5,800, in 2007.

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