LIBERTY, NY — Per a requirement by New York State, Sullivan County’s HEAP (Home Energy Assistance Program) office will stop accepting cooling benefit applications at close of business on Friday, July 14. The cooling benefit can provide eligible applicants with an air conditioner in a room in their home if they suffer from a medical condition that is made worse by extreme heat.  

Households that have received any kind of HEAP benefit of $21 or higher in this past season are eligible to apply for cooling over the phone; they should call 845/807-0142. If a household has not received a HEAP benefit in this past season, it must complete a full HEAP application, which is available at the Department of Social Services in Liberty or the Office for the Aging in Monticello. The HEAP office can also mail printed applications to people by request.