Weatherization Assistance Program (NYS HCR)
Last updated August 2026
This program makes free repairs that shrink your energy bill. Air sealing. Insulation. Fixing or replacing the heating system. Better lights and fridges. Window and door work, plus safety fixes tied to energy. A free audit decides the work, and an inspector checks it after.
The income table matches HEAP's: $41,676 a year for one person, $80,160 for a family of four. Better: if anyone in the home gets HEAP, SSI, or Public Assistance, you are in automatically. Getting a HEAP benefit first is the easy on-ramp.
The New York twist: renters qualify, and whole apartment buildings can get the work. Renters, homeowners, AND building owners can apply. Houses, manufactured homes, apartment buildings, group homes, and SROs all count. Tenants never pay. Owners of rental buildings must chip in toward the work.
You apply through the local agency for your county, not the state. Every county has one. Find yours in HCR's online provider directory and call for an application.
Waits are real. Each agency gets a limited yearly allocation, and the state itself says to ask whether your provider still has funds. Apply anyway; your application holds your place for future rounds. Seniors, people with disabilities, and families with children move up the list. Staff can also point you to HEAP and NYSERDA help while you wait.
Updated August 2026 Program details can change — confirm with the program directly.
Who qualifies
- Household income at or below 60 percent of the state median income
- Automatically eligible if a household member gets SSI, Public Assistance, SNAP, or HEAP; homeowners and renters both qualify
You may qualify. The program makes the final decision.
How to apply
- 1
Find your county's provider in HCR's weatherization provider directory and call for an application.
- 2
On HEAP, SSI, or Public Assistance? Say so; that alone makes you income-eligible. Not on HEAP yet? Apply for HEAP first as the easy on-ramp.
- 3
Renting? Apply anyway. Your landlord must agree and contribute, but the work costs you nothing. Building owners can apply for whole buildings.
- 4
List everyone 60+, any disabilities, and children in the home; those move you up the priority list.
- 5
Ask the agency honestly: does it still have funds this year, and how long is the list? Your application holds your place either way.
- 6
Do the free energy audit when your turn comes; it decides exactly what gets fixed, and an inspection follows the work.
What the application looks like
Common questions
What income qualifies for weatherization in New York?
The HEAP table: $3,473 a month ($41,676 a year) for one person, $6,680 a month ($80,160) for a family of four. HEAP, SSI, or Public Assistance enrollment qualifies you automatically.
Is weatherization really free?
Free for every occupant, owner or renter. The only party who pays anything is a rental building's owner, who must invest toward work on their property.
Can renters get weatherization in NY?
Yes, and uniquely, whole apartment buildings can be weatherized. Renters, homeowners, and building owners can all apply; group homes and SROs count too.
What work does it include?
Whatever the free energy audit justifies: air sealing, attic and wall insulation, heating repair or replacement, efficient lighting and refrigerators, window and door repair, and related health and safety fixes, with a quality inspection after.
How do I apply?
Through the agency covering your county, found in HCR's provider directory, never through the state directly. Call the agency and ask for an application.
How long is the wait?
Often long; each agency has a limited annual allocation. Seniors, disabilities, and children move you up. Apply now anyway; your application holds your place for future funding rounds.
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