The North Dakota Department of Human Services and the North Dakota Department of Commerce together offer a cooling assistance program that can help qualifying lower-income households beat the heat.
Operated in cooperation with Community Action Partnership of North Dakota (CAPND) offices, the cooling assistance program can help eligible households with the cost of purchasing and repairing air conditioners and other cooling devices.
To participate, households must qualify financially for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which serves households with incomes up to 60% of the state median income.
Qualifying income varies by household size. A two-person household can earn up to $42,467 and qualify. Program details are online at www.nd.gov/dhs/services/financialhelp/energyassist.html.
How to Apply
Households that participated in LIHEAP this past heating season can contact their local CAPND agency directly if interested. They will need to provide their LIHEAP approval letter.
Other households will need to apply and be approved for LIHEAP first, before contacting their local CAPND agency for cooling assistance help.
To apply for LIHEAP, visit www.applyforhelp.nd.gov, or contact a local human service zone office, or call 800-823-2417 for help completing and submitting a LIHEAP application.
CAPND staff will assess cooling needs and work with participating households to meet their needs.
LIHEAP is a federally funded program that primarily helps qualifying households with home heating costs. Funding for the cooling assistance program was approved by Congress as part of COVID-19 pandemic relief legislation.
During the 2022 heating season, which ran from Oct. 1, 2021 through May 31, 2022, the program served about 14,229 households statewide. In 2021, the cooling assistance program helped 426 qualifying North Dakota households.