Community Action Division helps low-income seniors stay cool

May is Community Action Month, and the Orange County Community Action Division has no shortage of programs to help low-income families who want to achieve economic stability. One such federally funded grant program is the Senior Climate Efficiency Program, which provides low-income seniors (60+) with air conditioner replacements, service or system upgrades.

“This is actually a very important issue, especially for low-income seniors,” said Ben Paquin, program manager for Orange County Family Services. “It can become quite dangerous for seniors who don’t have air conditioning, and some have been living without it for a few years, which is unfathomable considering how hot it gets here in the summer months.”

Program services include automatic air conditioner replacement if the unit is more than 10 years old or if there are any mismatched units. The program also offers service and cleaning; installs smart thermostats with automatic function; provides air conditioning filters; and repair/seal the ductwork. Seniors also learn how to operate an efficient air conditioner and thermostat.

“There is no cost to the homeowner, but we do have a backlog as applicants have to go through the approval process and we have to schedule local contractors to do the work,” explains Paquin, who has about 50 homes on his waiting list. “Living in Florida, we take air conditioning for granted, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t have working air conditioning.”

Paquin confirmed that the vast majority of air conditioning units need to be replaced because they are 10 years or older, making them ineffective and unreliable. From the province’s perspective, the goal is to keep seniors in their homes – by repairing or replacing air conditioning units – so that seniors can stay in place and not have to leave because living conditions are unsafe.

“In Florida, air conditioning is a basic human need, so it’s about being able to meet that need for older residents and allowing them to remain in their homes,” Paquin said. “The homes they grew up in currently have old or broken air conditioners, and they can’t afford to repair them or buy new ones, so if we can help with that, it’s our responsibility to do so.”

To qualify for the program, residents must be 60 years of age or older and already qualified for the Weatherization Assistance Program, or qualified for the Family Self-Sufficiency Program, Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, food stamps, or Section 8 Housing .

Orange County Community Action is a division of the Department of Community and Family Services. For more information about the programs and services, as well as the seven community centers, visit the Community Action Division. Residents interested in the program can contact Ben Paquin at 407-836-0918 or [email protected].