TAKE ACTION: Testify to Improve New York City’s Cooling Centers!
Extreme heat is the deadliest impact of climate change, and people of color are far more susceptible to it. In fact, 50 percent of the heat-related deaths in New York City are in the Black community, even though they only comprise 25 percent of the city’s overall population.
One of the ways we have sought to mitigate this is by working to improve, codify, and fund New York City’s Cooling Center program. Cooling Centers are free and open to the public, providing much needed relief during extreme heat events. And a new bill, Introduction 998, could address many of the concerns members raised in our Cooling Center Audit.
Intro 998 would empower New York City’s Office of Emergency Management and Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to center equity in the quantity and siting of cooling center locations. It would also amend the City Charter to include the program, securing a path to its longevity, expanded outreach capacity, and accessibility improvements. Once the City Charter is amended, it will be easier to hold the Mayor and City Council accountable to equitable investment in New York City’s Cooling Centers.
The New York City Council’s Health Committee will be holding a hearing on this legislation on Tuesday, April 8th at 10:00 AM at City Hall (livestreamed here). We urge you to testify in-person, via Zoom, or in writing and explain how a well-funded and equitable Cooling Center program would foster health and resilience in your community. And we have even offered template for your testimony below.
If you are willing to testify, please register to testify and/or submit written testimony here. If you testify in-person or via Zoom, you only have two minutes to speak. If you submit written testimony, you can write as much as you like and have up to 72 hours after the hearing is adjourned to submit it.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Caleb Smith at [email protected]. Thank you!
Intro 998 Testimony Template
Hello, my name is [add your name]. I am a member of WE ACT for Environmental Justice, and I live in City Council District [add your District number; if you don't know, you can look it up here].
I want to thank Committee Chair Schulman for hearing my testimony in support of equitable climate policy. The Cooling Center program is a critical safety net for low-income New Yorkers during extreme heat events. The last two years recorded the hottest global temperatures in history. Extreme heat events are becoming hotter, longer, and more frequent. And with so many New Yorkers struggling to pay their utility bills, the Cooling Center program is an essential part of the solution for our most vulnerable populations.
In my neighborhood, the Cooling Center program needs more support because [include a personal anecdote about gaps in service/quality or findings from Cooling Center Report if you live in Northern Manhattan].
Introduction 998 would significantly improve the accessibility and use of Cooling Centers in my neighborhood, providing a much-needed refuge for those who are most at risk from extreme heat. That is why I strongly urge the City Council to pass this legislation.
We also hope that the City Council will prioritize the Cooling Center program with adequate funding. The objectives laid out in this bill can only be realized if the City reinforces its climate disaster response goals with financial support.
