Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego speaks about the county’s heat-relief network and its impact on the city’s homeless population. Photo taken on Oct. 24, 2024. (Photo by Jalen Woody/Cronkite News)
PHOENIX – Summer is the most brutal time in Phoenix, especially for those surviving without basic needs like water and cool places to rest. This year, the city offered 24-hour heat relief spaces that skyrocketed in demand. City officials say 92% of visitors were experiencing homelessness, and the centers are a means to help them get off the streets and into safer places.
The Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) implemented the centers to provide people experiencing homelessness with much needed necessities to survive the temperatures.
As of Oct. 9, 35,309 people have visited the respite and cooling centers this year.
The centers come in four categories. According to MAG’s websites, cooling centers are air-conditioned spaces where volunteers and workers offer water, snacks and other refreshments. Respite centers are indoor, air-conditioned spaces equipped with water, places to rest and recuperate, restrooms, charging stations, food and medical checkups. Hydration stations can be indoor or outdoor stations and provide fresh drinkable water. Collection and donation sites operate to provide care at the other centers.
Many people experiencing homelessness have nowhere to turn when the temperatures outside rise to triple digits.
One family, Kevin Tilles; his fiancé, Devon Coleman; and their young daughter, visited the respite center at the Burton Barr Central Library to get care that would help get them off the streets.
“That decision (to go to Burton Barr Central Library) was the best decision,” Tilles said. “We wouldn’t be right here if we never made it.”
Tilles and Coleman looked for shelter during the brutal summer months, but they would often stay with family members or on the streets with their 2-year-old daughter. When the couple learned about the respite center at the library, they made the decision to relocate temporarily.
“I (was) hesitant at first because of other people, there was a lot of homeless people there and you don’t know what’s going on with everybody,” Coleman said. “Having a child, I’m very overprotective, but when my fiancé said, ‘let’s just go ask, let’s go ask this lady and this other lady.’”
The family said they found a savior in one of the volunteers at the respite center, named Caroline. She helped find them a place to stay for the rest of the summer. Now, the family looks forward to a future where they can own a vehicle and a home and have a stable and comfortable life.
The family spoke at a press conference held at the Fire Dispatch and Emergency Operations Center, where officials discussed Maricopa County’s heat relief network this morning, Oct. 24.
“Heat does not end at Phoenix’s municipal boundaries,” said Mayor Kate Gallego. “We need other cities to step up. Every community should have good access to overnight facilities. Power outages can happen anywhere in the Valley, and people can face evictions and other challenges throughout the Valley. ”
According to Gallego, there were a record-breaking 113 days of temperatures at or over 100 degrees this year. In 2023, there were 76 days of triple-digit temperatures.
Tim Kreis, Phoenix Fire assistant fire chief, noted a 20% decrease in heat-related emergency incidents/calls this summer compared to last summer. According to the city’s most recent weekly heat report, 1,416 calls were made over the past five months in relation to heat incidents/emergencies.
“Heat is an issue we plan on at the city of Phoenix year-round. … No deaths are acceptable as a metro region and as a state, we need to do better,” Gallego said. “Our demands are increasing, … we’re being asked to do more, yet given fewer resources as we start planning for next summer, I’m calling on the county, state, and federal governments to step up to provide funding, facilities and services necessary to save lives.”
Many of the cooling and respite centers in the Valley were scheduled to close Sept. 30, but are now open through the end of October.
“The summer was hot and it was difficult, but we’re (Phoenix Fire) very proud that we continue to encourage residents to take precautions in the heat,” Kreis said. “Although the worst of the summer is behind us, we know that more still needs to be done … together we can combat the dangers of extreme heat and keep our communities safe.”
