| Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... |
As climate change generates extreme heat across Austin, temperatures shoot higher than the surrounding areas in hot spots that have seen startling increases in heat-related illnesses and death.
Those deaths are exposing critical gaps in meeting public health needs, cooling center infrastructure and environmental justice, according to the 2024 Austin Public Health Mortality and Morbidity report and previous Austin Free Press reporting.
“It’s been terrible. We’ve had more heat-related illnesses, heat-related deaths every time the temperature goes up,’’ Austin Homeless Strategy Officer David Gray said in an interview.
People without a reliable place to live are most at risk, and the rising temperatures combined with the city’s shortage of affordable housing are adding to the number of people who are most vulnerable, he said.
Many people who live on the streets are exposed to heat for long periods of time, putting them at risk. Austin-area hot spots occur in highly developed, paved areas with little access to shade and vegetation, such as downtown, East Austin, plus areas near the airport and along bus routes, according to Chase Wright, founder of the nonprofit Hungry Hill Foundation. The trapped heat increases the risks of heat exhaustion, dehydration and heatstroke.
Austin’s Community Tree Priority Map shows the need for trees east of I-35.
Access to the safety of cooling centers can prevent illnesses, hospitalizations and even deaths, but many people who could benefit from cooling centers struggle to access them. Many centers have limited hours, can be difficult for some people to reach by public transportation or on foot, or simply don’t have needed resources.
When cooling centers close at 5 p.m., just as the heat reaches its peak for the day, Gray said that the Homeless Strategy Office will work with other city departments to keep the centers open for an extra hour or two. To address the transportation need, CapMetro has offered free rides to cooling centers during peak periods to anyone needing help to escape the heat. The effort helped a number of people safely arrive at cooling centers, but it was only a temporary fix.
Besides better access to cooling centers, other ways to reduce heat-related illnesses and deaths include starting with better community support and improving outreach efforts.
Wright’s organization provides some such services, as well as helping people experiencing homelessness find jobs, reunite with families and reintegrate into society. Wright said that he himself was once unhoused and knows the feeling of being unsheltered.
Statistics show heat-related illnesses grew as of 2024. Of the homeless people who were rushed to emergency rooms in Travis, Hays and Williamson counties, 73% were men. They needed treatment three times as often as women. Most of those men were between 18 and 44 years old.
Lauryn Irving is a graduating senior communication studies major at Huston-Tillotson University in Austin. This story was produced in partnership with Austin Free Press’ Enterprise Journalism training project.