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PUBLIC TESTIMONY

Testimony by Caleb Smith, Resiliency Coordinator at WE ACT for Environmental Justice, on Introduction 998

1:35:49

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Caleb Smith from WE ACT for Environmental Justice testifies in support of Introduction 998, which aims to codify and improve NYC's cooling center program. He emphasizes the program's importance in reducing heat-related deaths and highlights current shortcomings that need to be addressed.

WE ACT conducted a cooling center audit in 2020, revealing issues with program consistency, accessibility, and awareness.
The bill prioritizes equity in the quantity and location of cooling centers to better serve vulnerable populations.
Smith recommends implementing best practices such as extended hours, coordinated outreach, and establishing feedback mechanisms for patrons.

Caleb Smith

1:35:49

Hi, my name is Caleb Smith.

1:35:52

Good morning committee chair Lynn Schulman and the committee on health.

1:35:55

I'm the resiliency coordinator at WE ACT for environmental justice.

1:35:59

I'm glad to be here today with WE ACT members.

1:36:03

WE ACT is a membership based organization headquartered in Harlem serving all Northern Manhattan.

1:36:08

Our mission is to build healthy communities by empowering residents to engage in the creation of sound and fair environmental policy.

1:36:16

I am here alongside our members to uplift this critical emergency program to better support safety and health equity in the face of deadly heat events.

1:36:25

The cooling center program is an essential safety net for households that do not have air conditioner or cannot afford to run one.

1:36:31

Cooling center visits result in an, excuse me, estimated sixty six percent reduction in the risk of heat attributable deaths.

1:36:40

However, the program is in many ways ad hoc.

1:36:43

It has no dedicated budget, little consistency in services and hours and some neighborhoods lack a location within a five minute walking distance.

1:36:50

Residents also report limited way finding, signage or advertisements.

1:36:55

Community members have told us how to remedy these issues in WE Act cooling center audit released in 2020.

1:37:00

The passage of this bill will ease the allocation of resources to increase awareness of the program and address barriers to access highlighted by the audit.

1:37:09

This bill also prioritizes equity in the quantity and citing of cooling center locations to better serve the most vulnerable populations.

1:37:16

Proven best practices for the program such as extending hours of operations, coordinating outreach with local transit authorities, consistent program reporting and establishing feedback mechanisms for cooling center patrons can be implemented here.

1:37:30

If cooling centers are codified and properly funded, we will be a more heat resilient city.

1:37:36

We act for environmental justice strongly urges the New York City Council to enact Introduction September and we will be providing written testimony with more detailed recommendations.

1:37:46

Thank you.

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Testimony by Deaunte Johnson, Policy Fellow of New York League of Conservation Voters, on Cooling Centers and Intro 998

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Testimony by Elizabeth McMillan, Member of WE ACT for Environmental Justice