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Q&A
Heat Vulnerability Index (HVI) and its use in identifying vulnerable areas
0:41:17
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92 sec
Christina Farrell explains the Heat Vulnerability Index (HVI) and how it's used to identify vulnerable areas for cooling center placement. She discusses various factors that contribute to heat vulnerability beyond just socioeconomic status.
- HVI generally coincides with lower-income neighborhoods, which may have more overall vulnerability
- Other factors considered include isolation, limited public transportation, and housing type
- The city works with various providers to address different vulnerabilities, especially during long weekends and potential heat emergencies
Christina Farrell
0:41:17
I'll say a couple things.
0:41:19
There is the heat vulnerability index, which not always but generally will coincide with lower income neighborhoods which, you know may have more vulnerability overall.
0:41:31
And so we definitely, I think at a scale of a four or five are the ones that where it really can be a serious issue and so we do focus on those areas.
0:41:42
We also, you know, we've received outreach from council members and others and so depending on different populations when things may be open, we have worked with them.
0:41:53
You know, some areas are more isolated than others.
0:41:56
So we're well aware of, you know, where our cooling centers are located, where some may be you know, and sometimes it's also not socioeconomic.
0:42:05
It can also be if you're in Northeast Queens, if you're in Staten Island, public transportation is much more limited.
0:42:10
Right.
0:42:11
And people also may not be isolated in a social sense, but they may not live in, you know, apartment buildings.
0:42:18
They may live in homes where someone isn't checking on them every day.
0:42:23
So there are many different with heat, there are many different vulnerabilities things that we're looking at.
0:42:28
We work with visiting nurse and with other meal providers, especially over long weekends, times when we know, you know, that there could be a heat emergency.
0:42:37
So we're looking at all these these different vulnerabilities.
0:42:41
And again, we appreciate all the outreach that the council does, you know, along with us to to bring this to the forefront.
Lynn C. Schulman
0:42:49
So what campaigns initiatives has the administration conducted to help educate New Yorkers on the health risks of extreme heat?