Illinois Summer Energy Assistance
In Illinois, LIHEAP, or the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, provides a fraction of its winter program funding for a Summer Cooling Program, which provides a breath of nice, cold air for the state's most heat-vulnerable residents. Funded by the federal government, LIHEAP summer funding is state-run but administered at the local level to families in need.
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Funding
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In 2010, the state of Illinois received $265.8 million in federal LIHEAP funding, a pretty hefty chunk of $5.1 billion allocated for home heating and cooling assistance nationwide. The Illinois Summer Cooling Program utilizes $1 million of the funding each year, using a similar formula for distribution as the winter home-heating assistance programs.
Distribution
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If you are eligible for the Illinois Summer Cooling Program, a one-time, block grant payment of $150 will be sent to your home cooling provider to help offset your home's air-conditioning costs. You can still receive winter assistance through the LIHEAP home-heating program, if you qualify, in addition to summer funding.
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Eligibility
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Like the LIHEAP winter program, funding for the Summer Cooling Program is competitive and first-come, first-serve. The largest eligibility factor is the household's combined monthly income, which may not exceed 150 percent of the federal poverty level, or FPL. An applicant's heat-vulnerability is also taken into taken into consideration, as well; elderly and disabled applicants, those with medical conditions, and homes with children under 3 years of age are given priority for funding.
Application
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Application to LIHEAP's Summer Cooling Program must be made between July 19 and July 30, according to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity website. To apply, you can call the state's Energy Assistance Hotline at 1-877-411-9276 for application instructions, or you can visit or contact your local Community Action Agency, or CAA, for further information on the program and an application.
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