Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona is sponsoring a new bill to mitigate the impacts of extreme heat in urban areas across the U.S.
As heat-related deaths in Arizona have increased, local leaders in the state have called for a more permanent source of federal funding to protect people from extreme temperatures.
In the last few summers, Maricopa County and the City of Phoenix largely relied on temporary pandemic relief funds to pay for cooling centers and other heat relief initiatives.
In his Excess Urban Heat Mitigation Act, Gallego is proposing to create a $30 million grant program through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Local governments, tribes or nonprofits could use the grants for things like cool roof technology, tree planting or cooling centers.
The Democrat-backed bill is likely to face long odds in the Republican-controlled Congress.
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Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego is again calling on the state and federal government to do more to address extreme heat. -
A monsoon arrived Monday with the first significant rainfall of the season around the metro Phoenix area. The National Weather Service measured 0.38 of an inch at Sky Harbor. -
Although Phoenix restricts its most popular trails when extreme heat warnings are issued, danger can still arise when the trails are open this time of year. -
For 20 years, Justa Center has been known as one of the only day centers for homeless seniors in downtown Phoenix. -
Monsoon storms may have cooled things down briefly — though not enough to go without air conditioning. APS has a few tips to help keep cooling costs down.
