The City of Dallas and Reliant are partnering to give out cooling units to people who need them.
This is a part of their 16th annual Beat the Heat Program that helps West and South Dallas residents stay cool and manage their electricity use during the summer. Reliant and the city will distribute a limited number of portable cooling devices to eligible residents and open cooling centers.
"Having our centers open creates an opportunity for them to get out of those places and get somewhere that is cool, that is air conditioned and that is safe,” said Jessica Galleshaw, director of the Dallas Office of Community Care and Empowerment
There are residents who may be unsheltered or living in older homes that don't have adequate heating or cooling, she said. Distributing cooling units “allows us to kind of reach a larger number of folks and help people not just in the centers, but also in their homes.”
Reliant will host cooling centers at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center and the West Dallas Multipurpose Center in Dallas, as well as four centers in Fort Worth. The company will also provide snacks and drinks. Starting Tuesday and Wesneday, people can call the centers to request a free cooling device and apply for utility bill assistance.
Dallas libraries and recreation centers will also act as cooling centers.
Cooling centers will be open until the respective facility closes for the day. If temperatures reach 105 degrees, the city will implement overnight shelters.
District 7 City Council member Adam Bazaldua said the city wants to improve its ongoing partnership with Reliant. The only way they can, he said, is with input from people who are directly impacted by these extreme temperatures.
"It's very helpful for us to amend and change what we have to offer, not just through this program, but also as a whole from the city of Dallas,” he said.
Olla Mokhtar is KERA’s news intern. Got a tip? Email Olla at omokhtar@kera.org.
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