PHX Reporter

During its May 3 meeting, the Phoenix City Council made plans for heat mitigation and response grants for the summer in the wake of the first 100-degree day of the season, preparing to prevent heat-related deaths.

In addition to being one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, Phoenix is also one of the hottest. The number of heat-related deaths in the city has been climbing over the past few years, especially in the case of the homeless population. The City's Office of Heat Response and Mitigation is responsible for helping citizens cope with the intense heat that comes in the summer and for finding ways to cool the city as urban heat increases become a growing problem in the community.

"This past weekend, Phenix had its first 100-degree day of the season," Vice Mayor Yassasmin Ansari said in the meeting. "I'm sure everyone felt that. And last year we saw 424 heat-related deaths, the highest number since reporting began. These are devastating numbers, and they're also preventable numbers. But with over a thousand unsheltered residents living throughout our city, we know that that number could be just as high, if not higher, if we don't take critical action."

The Office of Heat Response and Mitigation is asking the council to approve $450,000 from American Rescue Plan Act funds to provide grants to local organizations and nonprofits to help fund their heat mitigation efforts. The grant program would run concurrently with the heat mitigation season, which ends Sept. 30.

“We appreciate all the City departments that are working to keep our residents safe during our very hot summers," Mayor Kate Gallego said in the meeting. "Extreme heat is a fact of life for us in Phoenix, but we have to do more to make sure we protect our community members. And this program will complement several other ongoing programs, including work to bring unsheltered residents indoors and our Cool Corridors program.”

The City Council also approved an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Maricopa County to expand heat relief grants for homeless people this year. The IGA amount would total $1,015,000 and would run from May to December. The council noted that the community was in favor of such measures in light of the recent increases in evictions in the city.