Cooling Portland program brings AC units to those in need during summer months

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Summer is in full swing, which means the Cooling Portland program is making headway in getting free air conditioning units to those in need.

It has been two weeks since the program announced its partnership with 311 to help make it easier for qualifying residents to get on the waitlist. Program directors say they received more than 1,000 requests within 24 hours.

Since then, dashboard data shows 430 units have been installed.

The program, paid for by the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund, connects low-income residents with free portable cooling and heating units – prioritizing seniors and those medical conditions.

It was launched in 2022 following the deadly heat dome of 2021, which claimed the lives of 72 people.

The Cooling Portland Program has installed more than 8,000 AC units since 2022.

“This heat wave was the deadliest documented natural disaster in Multnomah County’s history during the past 200 years,” according to the City of Portland. “While it is difficult to predict the next extreme heat event, it is clear that vulnerable Portlanders need access to cooling systems.”

Lori Johnson received a unit on Monday after she was forced to leave her Northeast apartment due to extreme heat. She said the program is a blessing.

“A few years back we had a heat wave, and I ended up having to leave my home and rent a room somewhere because it had gotten so hot,” she said. “As I mature in age, I’m not able to handle the heat as well as I did when I was young.”

Virginai Lopez DeVanal is grateful for the program. “Now that I’m on dialysis, it feels like the weather gets really aggressive," she told KOIN 6 News.

To request a cooling unit, residents can contact the Cooling Portland program via the City of Portland website.

“It’s really gratifying to see the change it is making in people’s lives," said PCEF Strategic Partnership and Policy Manager Jaimes Valdez.