Warm Neighbors Fund
About the Warm Neighbors Fund Grants:
This fund, managed by the Catskills Alliance for Housing & Preservation (CAHP), a 501c3, provides microgrants to assist income-eligible homeowners and renters who need help covering their heating bills, or are in danger of shut-offs this winter.
Grants will be available to residents of Shandaken and Olive, and will be awarded beginning January 5, 2026. The application window will remain open until funds run out.
Eligibility is determined based on annual income, with priority given to applicants who have been eligible for SNAP or HEAP benefits at any time in the past 2 years, or whose annual income is 60% or less of Ulster County’s AMI. The amount of each grant will be determined based on the overall amount of money raised, with a $500 maximum grant per household. Funds will be paid directly to the applicant's utility company on behalf of the grant recipient.
If you prefer a paper application, you can download a copy, or pick one up from one of the following community organizations who have partnered with CAHP to ensure the campaign reaches our most vulnerable residents:
West Shokan and Shokan branches of the Olive Free Library
Email your completed application and supporting documents to: catskillsalliance@gmail.com
Give to the Warm Neighbors Fund!
With snow falling in the Catskills, CAHP has launched their first homeowner support program: the Warm Neighbors Fund, which will provide small microgrants to local residents who are struggling to pay their heat bills this winter.
According to the Ulster County Executive’s office, there are roughly 14,700 Ulster County households enrolled in the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), a program that helps residents struggling to pay for heat in the cold months. Although HEAP benefits have now been restored, there remains an affordability crisis for many households. That, combined with federal budget cuts impacting so many income-based programs, CAHP believes it’s more important than ever for us to come together to support one another and strengthen our resilience as a community.
We have set a goal of raising at least $20,000 to help our struggling neighbors pay their heat bills.
Thanks to a generous community member, the first $5,000 in donations will be matched dollar for dollar, helping us reach our goal more quickly and support more of our neighbors!
Want to pay by check? Please make your check out to Catskills Alliance for Housing & Preservation and mail it to:
Ulster Savings Bank, PO Box 217, Phoenicia, NY 12464
Or you can drop it off at the Phoenicia branch of the bank!