Portland officials are making an initiative that aims to protect low-income residents during dangerous heat waves more accessible to those in need.
Vulnerable city dwellers can now receive a free portable air conditioner or heat pump and cooling unit combo by dialing 311 or completing an online application, according to city officials.
To qualify for the Cooling Portland program, a household must earn 60% or less of the area median income, officials said. That’s about $71,000 annually for a family of four or $50,000 for a single individual.
The $16 million program prioritizes people over the age of 60 as well as those with medical needs or who live alone.
City officials said Cooling Portland, which partners with a dozen nonprofit groups and housing providers, plans to deliver and install cooling units in up to 3,000 eligible homes and apartments by the end of the year.
“People are encouraged to apply as soon as possible,” said Jaimes Valdez, a manager with the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund, which oversees the initiative. “This gives the program partners time to verify eligibility, order cooling units, and schedule installation to their homes.”
The Cooling Portland program launched in June 2022, a year after a catastrophic heat wave killed 69 people in Multnomah County and hospitalized dozens more.
Despite a rocky rollout marred by setbacks and an embarrassing oversight, it has since provided and installed more than 8,400 cooling units across Portland free of charge. City officials aim to distribute a total of 15,000 by the end of 2026, a goal the program set when it first began.
The city’s clean energy fund provides grants to nonprofits that seek to reduce carbon emissions, create jobs and promote resiliency for those facing the most severe impacts from climate change.
The fund generates revenue through a local tax on large retailers approved by voters in 2018 and prioritizes projects that help the city’s historically marginalized communities. Budget documents shows it is projected to raise more than $1 billion over the next five years.
To apply for a free cooling unit from the city of Portland, call 311 or visit https://www.portland.gov/bps/cleanenergy/about-cooling-portland/apply-cooling-unit
-- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh covers Portland city government and politics, with a focus on accountability and watchdog reporting.
Reach him at 503-294-7632
Email at skavanaugh@oregonian.com
Follow on Twitter @shanedkavanaugh
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