Heads up, Virginia: Cooling assistance available for select low-income homes
Those who are struggling to cool their homes this summer can now apply for help.
The Virginia Department of Social Services is offering financial assistance to help pay electric bills, repair a central air conditioning system, buy a whole-house fan, or to purchase and install a window air conditioner.
Applications are being accepted until Aug. 15, according to news release from the department. To qualify, households must have a child younger than 6, an adult 60 or older, or an individual with a disability. There are also income requirements, which are based on a household’s gross monthly income before taxes. To learn more, visit the department’s website.
Applications can be submitted to a local department of social services, online at Virginia CommonHelp, or by calling 1-855-635-4370.
The release states that the department has provided cooling assistance for two decades using the federally funded Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
Hampton Roads has experienced a nearly two-fold increase in hot days since 1950, according to Michael Allen, a climate scientist and associate professor at Old Dominion University.
“Our summer season has grown in length, which sounds great — you might think of sitting on the beach and drinking a piña colada — but in reality it’s deadly,” he told The Virginian-Pilot last year. “More people die of heat waves than any other natural disaster.”
The Virginia Department of Health tracks emergency room and urgent care visits for heat-related illness each summer. The department recorded 569 heat-related illness visits as of July 4, including 192 visits in the health district that includes Hampton Roads. From May to September of 2022, the state recorded just under 3,000 visits.
Katie King, katie.king@virginiamedia.com
