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Q&A
Plans and challenges in expanding NYC's cooling center network
0:24:32
ยท
3 min
Council Member Keith Powers inquires about plans to expand the number of cooling centers, particularly in vulnerable communities. Christina Farrell discusses the ongoing efforts to increase the number of centers and the challenges faced in expansion.
- The city has been adding new partners, including cultural institutions and elected officials' offices
- Challenges include finding appropriate locations open on weekends and holidays
- There's no dedicated funding for the cooling center program, which limits expansion capabilities
Keith Powers
0:24:32
Okay.
0:24:32
Thank you for that.
0:24:35
Are there any plans at this moment to expand the amount of cooling centers that the city has?
0:24:41
I think there's you said about 600 right now.
0:24:43
Is there any plans?
0:24:44
There have been a controller and others have done reports indicating that certain communities that were going be the most vulnerable did not have adequate access or enough access.
0:24:53
So what are plans in the coming year to what what is the expected number or are there plans to expand?
Christina Farrell
0:25:00
So we have been expanding every year.
0:25:03
As we noted last year, we were able to add several cultural sites.
0:25:08
I believe the Museum of the City of New York, the Brooklyn Museum, some others which is fantastic.
0:25:14
We also, for council members opened, other elected officials had opened up their offices.
0:25:20
We are always looking for new partners.
0:25:23
You know, one thing we have found is that there are what we call traditional cooling centers, nontraditional cooling centers.
0:25:33
During COVID and last year because several of the hottest days, one was Juneteenth which was a federal holiday and a city holiday and several were on Sundays when understandably many locations are not open.
0:25:46
So we have worked with other partners, for example, New York City Public Schools at expense to them last year.
0:25:53
Nobody receives any type of funding to run the program, to be a center, to pay for the air conditioning.
0:25:59
You know, there's there's no funding with this program.
0:26:01
Schools did open last year.
0:26:03
They on average saw less than five people total for the 20 schools.
0:26:08
So most of the locations that opened last year on those Sundays did not have any people visit and that was born out during COVID as well.
0:26:18
You know I think that people are used to going to libraries.
0:26:23
Seniors are you know enjoy their older adult centers.
0:26:26
They have a community there, they may get food, they may do other activities and so you know people really go where they feel comfortable, where they know how to get there, they you know are just sort of gonna have them, they're not just gonna sit there basically.
0:26:41
And so you know we are looking that's why cultural institutions are a really good option to the extent they're able to participate.
0:26:49
And you know outside of just the cooling centers, like we said there are a lot of cool options.
0:26:55
Know there may be malls, there could be other locations and so we're noting all of that on our website.
0:27:02
But we are always and over the years, I've been in emergency management a long time, over the years we especially years you know during COVID or other when we didn't have as many sites open, we've asked people.
0:27:13
We have a share your space survey where people can note that they would be interested.
0:27:17
Specific elected officials or community groups have sent us information.
0:27:22
We've followed up with them and so we are as long as people can give us the basic things we need, we're happy to add them.
0:27:30
But we don't have the power, the authority or the funding to compel any organization to be a cooling center.
0:27:36
I will also say just looking at the comptroller's report from a few years ago, that I believe was based on community boards.
0:27:44
And so I think we all know you can live on the edge of one community board.
Keith Powers
0:27:47
For sure.
Christina Farrell
0:27:48
And you know, but go to things next door.
0:27:53
So I mean I think they needed a way to look at their analysis.
0:27:57
But you could have something in other community board that's closer than the one closer to you.
0:28:03
So we didn't really agree with all the findings in that
Keith Powers
0:28:08
I got it.