The State Press: A Recipe for Disaster – the Negative Links between Extreme Heat & Housing Insecurity

Stepping outside in Arizona means feeling the desert sun seeping into your skin until the heat becomes so unbearable that you need to retreat into the shade or a cool, air-conditioned room.

But for some, these luxuries are inaccessible, leaving them victim to the ever-climbing temperatures.

From heat-retaining mobile home structures to a lack of air conditioning to homelessness, housing issues make communities more vulnerable to Arizona’s intense heat.

The state is also no stranger to skyrocketing housing prices that displace low-income people, forcing them to look for cheaper housing options, which may lack amenities that adequately protect residents from the heat.

Individuals facing housing instability are also more likely to suffer from the harmful effects of the heat. Excessive heat can worsen preexisting health conditions or cause new issues, like heatstroke and hyperthermia, which can be fatal.

In addition, the criminalization of homelessness only makes things worse when tents are swept, and unhoused people are forced to leave the shelters they have found. Besides a lack of shelter from the heat, people experiencing homelessness who are exposed to the asphalt in cities like Phoenix may experience extreme burns in mere seconds to minutes.