Affordable Housing

Understanding Affordable Housing in Ewing Township

-- Introduction
-- Background
   -- New Jersey
   -- Ewing Township
-- Resources
-- Ewing Township
    -- Municipal Housing Liaison
    -- Affordable Housing Administrative Agent
-- Ewing Rehabilitation Program
-- Mercer County
-- State of New Jersey
-- Comprehensive Plans, Resolutions, and Ordinances
-- Housing & Community Development Assistance Programs

Housing & Community Development Programs

Low Income Home Energy Assistance program (LIHEAP)

The County of Mercer accepts applications for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) each year beginning October 1st. The County continues accepting applications for the Universal Service Fund (USF) Program throughout the year. Residents who pay their own heating costs, and meet the income guidelines, may be eligible to receive financial assistance with their winter heating bill. Residents with medical conditions may also be eligible to receive cooling assistance.

The 2025-2026 LIHEAP season begins October 1, 2025 and ends on June 30, 2026.

Send completed applications to:  County of Mercer LIHEAP/USF Programs, 640 S. Broad Street Room 106, P.O. BOX 8068 Trenton or fax to 609-278-2758.

Appointments: If an in-person appointment is necessary, clients can call 609-337-0933 or email [email protected] to schedule.

Questions: please leave a message at 609-989-6959 (Spanish - 609-989-6539), send an email, or check the Housing & Community Development web pages for updated information.

Medi-Cool Program

Mercer County is offering free air conditioners to qualified seniors and eligible disabled through the Medi-Cool Program. The program is open to residents age 60 and older who meet income requirements as well as a documented health condition. Disabled residents aged 18 and older may also qualify.  Eligible applicants will receive a voucher for a free 5K BTW air conditioning unit.
Requirements:

• Proof of residency
• Proof of income and assets
• Documentation about medical illness or condition from primary care physician and reason for needing an air conditioner

Applicants will be screened for eligibility by partners Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Trenton, and Rise, Inc., a Community Service Partnership of Hightstown. Screening until all units are distributed.

For more information:

Call:  609-394-9947  ext 2529 or 609-443-4464.

Approved applicants will receive a voucher and be scheduled to pick up their air conditioning unit from a storage facility in Hightstown on a specific date and time. They will need someone with them who is able to carry the air conditioner home from the pick up appointment and install it.  Anyone who has received an air conditioner through this program within the last three years is ineligible to participate this year.

• Energy Assistance -  https://www.nj.gov/dca/dhcr/offices/hea.shtml
• Other Housing Assistance
  Weatherization Assistance Program
  Lead-Safe Home Remediation Program
• Foreclosure Prevention Counseling - https://www.nj.gov/dca/hmfa/consumers/foreclosure/
• Find Housing - https://nj.gov/njhrc/find-housing/
• I Choose Home NJ – a federal program that works to move people out of nursing homes and developmental centers back into the community; and re-invest Medicaid dollars saved back into home and community-based services to grow the system.
• Mercer County Residential Home Improvement Project
  • Rehabilitation Application Instructions
  • Rehabilitation Program Application
  • Rehabilitation Program Brochure

If you are having trouble paying your residential electric, sewer and water service bills this winter, the NJ Department of Community Affairs has a program to protect you from having these utilities turned off from November 15 through March 15.

Who is Eligible?

You qualify for protection during this period if you are being helped by one of the programs listed below:

• Federal Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)
• Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
• Federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled (PAAD)
• General Assistance (GA) benefits
• Universal Service Fund (USF)
• Low-income Household Water Assistance Program
• Lifeline Credit Program

OR

You are unable to pay your utility bills because of circumstances beyond your control such as unemployment, illness, medically related expenses, recent death of an immediate family member, and any other circumstances, which might cause financial hardship.

What do you have to do?

1. If you qualify for protection from shut-off during this period, you should contact your utility company to advise the company that you are eligible for coverage under the State’s Winter Termination Program. You should also pay as much as you can on your bill(s) during the winter.
2. Customers also have the option to complete the following Self-Certification form and provide this form to their utility company as a way of notifying the company of their eligibility for protection. When using the Self-Certification form it is recommended that a copy of the form be retained for one’s personal records.

Please be advised that this debt does not go away, all of the money that you owe must be repaid after March 15, 2025 or your services may be disconnected.

Access the Flyer and Form

• Winter Termination Program (flyer)
• Winter Termination Program Self-Certification (form)