Title
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation Heat Relief Grant Program (Ordinance S-49700)
Description
Request authorization for the City Manager, or his designee, to enter into multiple grant agreements with multiple grantees to disburse funds and supplies for the Heat Relief Grant Program. Further request to authorize the City Controller to disburse all funds and supplies related to this item. Funding is available through the City's allocation of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding received from the federal government. There is no impact to the General Fund. The aggregate expenditures will not exceed $450,000.
Report
Summary
Phoenix’s Office of Heat Response and Mitigation (OHRM) is leading the efforts of the hottest large city in the United States to fight the growing hazard of urban heat. OHRM focuses on both heat response (helping people cope with hot weather) and heat mitigation (cooling the city and making it more comfortable). During all seasons of the year, OHRM coordinates programs and policies to help lower urban temperatures and protect public health. The Office also tracks trends, collects data, and collaborates with other governments and organizations to share ideas and solutions when it comes to dealing with heat.
As of April 3, 2023, the Maricopa County Department of Public Health had confirmed 424 heat-associated deaths for 2022, with a limited number of additional cases pending further review. The 2022 total reflects an increase of 25 percent above the heat-associated death total from 2021 and is the highest number of heat-associated deaths reported since formal tracking began in 2006.
To provide heat relief outreach efforts across the City of Phoenix, OHRM is seeking authorization to use $450,000 in ARPA funds to develop a Heat Relief Grant Program to provide funding and supplies for heat relief to multiple community non-profits. There is a rich network of organizations in Phoenix with capacity and interest to serve heat vulnerable residents, and the impact of their work could be significantly amplified with additional resources. The Heat Relief Grant Program will enable these organizations to procure heat relief supplies and distribute them to communities disproportionately impacted by heat, including those most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The OHRM Heat Response Program Manager will facilitate and administer this grant program. The Heat Relief Grant Program will run concurrently with the regional Heat Relief Network calendar and conclude by Sept. 30, 2023.
Financial Impact
Funding for this program will not exceed $450,000. There is no impact to the General Fund. Funding is available through the City's allocation of ARPA from the federal government.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Gina Montes and the Office of Heat Response and Mitigation.