URBANA, IL (Chambana Today) – The Champaign County Regional Planning Commission’s (RPC) cooling program is set to help Champaign County households at the greatest risk from extreme heat.
The program begins on June 9, and is expected to help about 200 households. Resources allocated for utility assistance during the COVIID pandemic have not been sustained post pandemic by the federal government, causing the RPC to exhaust its funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in early May. With Summer 2025, the RPC administers a Summer Cooling program to support low-income households in Champaign County.
The program is possible with funding from the Community Services Block Grant and is anticipated to help 200 to 350 households maintain power during the summer. The bill must not exceed $1,000.
Eligibility includes:
- They must be Champaign County residents.
- The household’s most recent 30-day income must be at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level
- The household must include a senior (age 60 and above) or an individual with a medical certificate documenting a condition a condition that requires active power in the household.
- The household’s power service is disconnected or in imminent disconnect status.
Appointments will be available at the RPC’s office inside the Brookens Administrative Center (1776 E. Washington Street, Urbana), at 2009 Round Barn Road in Champaign, and at the Rantoul Business Center (601 S. Century Boulevard, Suite 1314).
LIHEAP will resume taking new applications on October 1, 2025, for households with anyone aged 60 or older, with a person who has a documented disability, families with children under age 6, and disconnected/disconnect notice households. All other eligible households can start applying on November 1, 2025.