Cooling Centers

TAKE ACTION: Submit Testimony in Support of a Better Cooling Center Program
We have been advocating for improvements to New York City’s Cooling Center program for years, and there is hope on the horizon! A new bill, Intro. 998, has been introduced in the City Council that could finally address some of the concerns our Climate Justice Working Group raised in its Cooling Center Audit. This legislation would empower New York City’s Office of Emergency Management and Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to center equity in the quantity and siting of cooling center locations. It also would amend the City Charter to include the program, securing a path to its longevity, expanded outreach capacity, and accessibility improvements. Once the City Charter is amended, it will be easier to hold the Mayor and City Council accountable to ensure equitable investment in the program.

The Council’s Committee on Health has scheduled a hearing for Tuesday, April 8th at 10:00 AM. You can register here to submit oral or written testimony explaining how a well-funded and equitable Cooling Center program would foster health and resilience in your community. You can testify in-person at City Hall or via Zoom (two-minute limit on this oral testimony) – and either way you can also submit written testimony as well (for which you can write as much as you want). Visit our Cooling Center page on the website for prompts on providing testimony. And reach out to caleb.smith@weact.org if you have any questions.

Testimony Template [feel free to use your own words]:
Hi, my name is ______________ [add your full name] and I am a member of WE ACT for Environmental Justice. I am also a constituent of City Council District _____ [add your District number, which you can locate here].

I want to thank Committee Chair Schulman for hearing my testimony in support of common sense climate policy. The Cooling Center program is a critical safety net for low-income New Yorkers during extreme heat events. The last two years recorded the hottest global temperatures in history, with 2024 being the first year to exceed the Paris Agreement’s global warming limit of 1.5℃. The weather we experienced last summer was not a fluke. We must have a free, equitable, and accessible emergency response to protect the health of all New Yorkers from extreme heat, especially those who live in environmental justice communities.

The Cooling Center program needs more support in my neighborhood because _________ [add a personal story about the lack of air conditioning in your building or neighborhood, and how few air-conditioned spaces are open and freely available to the public]. Introduction 998 would enable the Cooling Center program to better serve communities of color and low-income, which suffer the most from extreme heat.

That is why I strongly urge the City Council to pass this legislation. And we hope that you will also prioritize the Cooling Center program with adequate funding. The objectives laid out in this bill can only be realized if the City reinforces its climate disaster response ideals with fiscal support. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Extreme heat events are increasing in frequency, severity, and duration in New York City. There are a number of negative health impacts from extreme heat, including heat stress, dehydration, dizziness, and fainting. These impacts can lead to hospitalization, worsening of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and can even lead to death. Vulnerable populations such as older adults are most at risk. And, the burden of extreme heat events is disparately borne by low-income neighborhoods and neighborhoods of color.

To plan for extreme heat events, New York City has implemented the Cooling Center Program. On declared heat emergency days, the city will open spaces for the public to seek air conditioning that is accessible and free to all. Sites include public libraries, community centers, senior centers, and more. The Cooling Center Program is important for advancing equity by supporting those who are most vulnerable to extremely hot days. However, WE ACT’s Climate Justice Working Group found a lot of problems with these sites last summer. We held workshops to develop recommendations to provide better cooling spaces for low-income populations in New York City:

Increased consistency across Cooling Center sites, establishing a more comprehensive criteria that all sites have to meet in order to become Cooling Centers, and the criteria must be evaluated by a set date.

Signage with information and availability was chronically lacking across sites. Spreading information about the site location and features to the public is key for utilization, so there should be strict guidelines about wayfinding and communications across the city.

Staff communication and training is key. Staff members must be informed that their site is a Cooling Center. And, they must be able to identify signs of heat stress in site visitors.

Quality and conditions of sites must be improved. Sites should have extended hours of operation, create welcoming atmosphere with programming, utilize more spaces as Cooling Centers, and surveys should be conducted with the public to assess which spaces are preferred.

Read our 2020 New York City Cooling Center Report (PDF) to see the recommendations based off our audit of Northern Manhattan cooling centers. And when they are open (due to an extreme heat event), you can find your nearest New York City Cooling Center here.

ACT Now
WE ACT and our members are working to advance and improve Intro 1563, a bill designed to improve New York City’s Cooling Centers. We are asking the New York City Council’s Committee on Health to hold a hearing on Cooling Centers before the summer’s heatwaves arrive.

If you would like to be a part of this effort, you can join our Climate Justice Working Group or contact Annie Carforo at annie@weact.org.