BENEFIT SERVICE GUIDE — HOUSING & COST OF LIVING
Heating-repair and tune-up help is open. Start with Rockland's HEAP Unit before work begins.
New York opened two 2026–27 HEAP benefits October 1 for eligible homeowners: repair or replacement of an unsafe or inoperable primary heating system, and qualifying heating-equipment cleaning and tune-up work. This year, eligible homeowners of any age may apply.
Start here
- Call: Rockland County HEAP at 845-364-3100, choose option 1, then option 3.
- Email: RocklandHEAP@dfa.state.ny.us.
- In person: Rockland County Department of Social Services, 50 Sanatorium Road, Building L, Pomona.
- Fax: 845-364-3130.
- Before hiring: get HEAP approval and authorization before repair or replacement work starts.
Repair or replacement is for a primary heating emergency
Rockland County says the Heating Equipment Repair or Replacement benefit is for eligible homeowners whose furnace, boiler or other essential primary-heating equipment is inoperable or unsafe and needs repair or replacement. Household income, resources and other program rules apply.
New York says every repair-or-replacement application requires an eligibility interview, which may be completed in person or by phone. The local district decides eligibility, authorizes the work and pays the participating vendor after approved work is complete. Do not assume that hiring a contractor first will be reimbursed later.
Clean and Tune has a different test
The Clean and Tune benefit can cover eligible energy-efficiency and safety work on primary heating equipment. New York lists equipment cleaning, chimney cleaning, minor repairs and, when needed, carbon-monoxide detectors or programmable thermostats among possible services.
The State says an applicant must be the homeowner, meet the current income rules, have primary heating equipment more than 12 months old, and not have had that equipment—or the chimney for a wood heat source—cleaned within the past 12 months. A service contract that already includes cleaning and tune-up work makes the household ineligible for this component.
Income limits are household-specific
For 2026–27, OTDA lists maximum gross monthly income of $3,563 for one person, $4,659 for two, $5,756 for three and $6,852 for four. Larger households have higher limits. Income is not the only test, and the County makes the eligibility decision after reviewing the household and the requested work.
What opened—and what did not
The October 1 notice applies to the Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement and Clean and Tune components. It should not be read as proof that every HEAP component is open or that an individual household qualifies. Use the County contact above for the application route and current documentation list.
What changes for a resident: an income-eligible Rockland homeowner of any age can now ask the County HEAP Unit to evaluate an unsafe or inoperable primary heating system for repair or replacement, or qualifying older heating equipment for cleaning and tune-up help—before authorizing the work.
Primary sources: New York OTDA opening notice 26DC043 ↗, dated September 9, 2026; OTDA's current HEAP program page and 2026–27 income limits ↗; and Rockland County's HEAP contacts and local program description ↗. Checked October 1, 2026, at 2:50 p.m. EDT. The State opening notice confirms that both components are available to eligible homeowners of any age this program year. The Rockland Edit has not determined any household's eligibility, confirmed funding availability for a particular job or authorized a contractor.