County Announces Start of Cooling Assistance Program for 2006

Department of Family Services
12011 Government Center Parkway, Suite 500
Fairfax, VA 22035-1102
703-324-7758, TTY 703-222-9452, Fax 703-222-9487
DFSPIO@fairfaxcounty.gov
www.fairfaxcounty.gov

For Immediate Release-June 12, 2006

Low-income Fairfax County residents who need help to keep their homes cool this summer and prevent a health emergency resulting from extreme heat may be able to get assistance from a federally funded program locally administered by the county’s Department of Family Services.

The Cooling Assistance program helps eligible low-income households that include at least one person considered especially vulnerable to heat -- a child under age six, a disabled individual, or an adult age 60 or older.

Cooling assistance can be used to help with:

• Payment of electric bills to operate cooling equipment.
• Payment of security deposits for electricity to operate cooling equipment.
• Repair of a central air conditioning system or heat pump.
• Purchase of a whole-house fan, including ceiling or attic fans.
• Purchase and installation of one window unit air conditioner for households where there is no unit or where the unit must be replaced.

Applications for this year’s Cooling Assistance Program will be accepted from Thursday, June 15th through Tuesday, August 15th.

For more information or an application form, visit the Virginia Department of Social Services or call the Fairfax County Department of Family Services at 703-324-7604; TTY:703-222-9452.

Applications can also be picked up at the county’s four DFS offices:

• Fairfax - Pennino Building, 12011 Government Center Parkway
  703-324-7500, TTY 703-222-9452
• Falls Church, 6245 Leesburg Pike (Route 7), Falls Church
  703-533-5300, TTY 703-533-5316
• Reston - Lake Anne Office Building, 11484 Washington Plaza West, Reston
  703-787-4900, TTY 703-707-9346
• Richmond Highway/Alexandria - South County Center, 8350 Richmond Hwy (Rt. 1)
  703-704-6353; TTY 703-799-3435

Fairfax County is committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of disability in all county programs, services and activities. Reasonable accommodations will be provided upon request.