Albemarle Co. family living without central heating given new HVAC unit

ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (WVIR) - An Albemarle County family will now be able to stay warm thanks to the Albemarle Housing Improvement Program (AHIP).

The Morris Family has been living without central heat since the winter of 2016.

“We had the chance to buy and we did, then six months later it just stopped,” Jennifer Morris said.

“When you're faced with a bill, an improvement, that's from $5,000 to $10,000, that affects everybody's budget,” Rehabilitation Services Program Manager Jane Andrews said.

The family made-do by closing off parts of the home, and using space heaters to keep warm. However, this made their electric bill skyrocket.

“It takes a good chunk of my paycheck. I work part time, because I have two kids with special needs, so I can't work full time,” Jennifer explained.

AHIP installed a brand new unit Monday, February 24. Beck Cohen employees also helped with the installation, as well as donated $2,500 to the program.

AHIP is in the middle of a fundraising campaign where any donation will be matched with the Department of Social Services’ Crisis Heating Program.

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