The county provides three cooling programs to help keep homes at safe temperatures during the summer.
- Cooling Assistance is a program for residents with very low income who meet age (0-5 or 60+) or disability criteria. Cooling Assistance focuses mostly on helping residents pay their electricity bills. The program runs from mid June - to mid August. This program is part of the federal LiHEAP program, with eligibility restrictions set at the state level. It is administered locally by the Department of Family Services (DFS) — Energy Assistance. (To apply for DFS Cooling Assistance, call 1-833-522-5582 or see other options).
- Senior Cool Care provides small cooling equipment to low-income, older citizens (aged 60+). The program runs from May 1 – October 31. This program is administered by the Department of Family Services (DFS) — Older Adults Services. (To apply for Senior Cool Care, call 703-324-7948).
- AC Rescue is a “safety net” program for residents in serious need of cooling equipment help at home who are unable to receive equipment from the other cooling programs. There are no age or disability requirements for AC Rescue, and the program is open year-round. AC Rescue is open to low- and moderate-income households (up to 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI)) who have one or more occupied rooms without air conditioning. AC Rescue is a partnership between OEEC and Rebuilding Together-AFF as part of Resilient Fairfax.
Age Eligibility for Cooling Programs
Age is a common reason residents may need AC Rescue. The table below illustrates the age requirements for each of the three cooling programs. DFS Cooling Assistance is open to residents with very low incomes who are aged 0-5, 60+, or federally designated as disabled. DFS Senior Cool Care is open to very low-income residents who are aged 60+. AC Rescue is open to residents of all ages.
| | 0-5 | 6-10 | 11-15 | 16-20 | 21-25 | 26-30 | 31-35 | 36-40 | 41-45 | 46-50 | 51-55 | 56-60 | 60+ |
| DFS: Energy Assistance – Cooling Assistance (0-5 or 60+) | ✓ | | | | | | | | | | | | ✓ |
| DFS: Senior Cool Care (Only for adults 60+) | | | | | | | | | | | | | ✓ |
| Resilient Fairfax: AC Rescue (No age restrictions) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Income Eligibility for Cooling Programs
Income is another common reason that residents may need AC Rescue. DFS Cooling Assistance serves residents with very low incomes. AC Rescue serves a wider range of incomes (up to 80% Area Median Income). Staff can help with income determinations.
| Maximum annual income for an average household size of 1 | ~20% AMI
(150% Poverty) | 30% AMI | 40% AMI | 50% AMI | 60% AMI | 70% AMI | 80% AMI | >80% AMI |
| DFS: Energy Assistance – Cooling Assistance | ✓ | | | | | | | |
| Resilient Fairfax: AC Rescue (<80% AMI) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
The following are examples of residents who may be good candidates for AC Rescue:
- Children above 5: The Garcia family have no AC at home. The children are aged 6 and 7. Because the children are not under the age of five and no family members are disabled, the family would not qualify for equipment from DFS’ Cooling Assistance. Therefore, they may be good candidates for AC Rescue.
- Adults under 60: Joe has no AC at home and has had heat-related illnesses. He lives alone and he is 55 years old. Because he is not over the age of 60, he would not qualify for equipment from DFS’ Cooling Assistance or Senior Cool Care. He may be a good candidate for AC Rescue.
- Disability not federally recognized: Roberto is 35 and uses a wheelchair. There is no AC in his home. Although he is disabled, his disability is not federally recognized, and he is not above 60, so he would not qualify for equipment from DFS’ Cooling Assistance. Therefore, he may be a good candidate for AC Rescue.
- Income: Ana makes minimum wage and cannot afford a window AC unit. Her income is just above the threshold to qualify for DFS’ Cooling Assistance. She may be a good candidate for AC Rescue.
- AC Situation: The Smith family has one small window AC unit in the kitchen. The rest of the home, including all bedrooms, have no AC and become dangerously hot in the summer. Due to the AC unit in the kitchen, the Smith family would not qualify for equipment from DFS’ Cooling Assistance. However, they may be good candidates for AC Rescue.
If you have questions about the AC Rescue program in general, or which cooling assistance program is right for you, please call 703-324-7262 or email ResilientFairfax@fairfaxcounty.gov.
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