Key Takeaway
More air-conditioned spaces are open during extreme heat, but distance, stigma and risk perception keep many awayResponding to an uptick in extreme heat waves this summer, US cities have increased their efforts to establish cooling centers to keep people safe but continue to encounter a problem: actually getting people to enter the public air-conditioned spaces. Lower-income people, who often do…
Published August 7, 2026 · Category: News
Overview
More air-conditioned spaces are open during extreme heat, but distance, stigma and risk perception keep many away
Responding to an uptick in extreme heat waves this summer, US cities have increased their efforts to establish cooling centers to keep people safe but continue to encounter a problem: actually getting people to enter the public air-conditioned spaces.
Details
Lower-income people, who often do not have – or cannot afford to operate – air conditioning, face a greater risk of heat-related illness or deaths, which means public agencies in the US concentrate their efforts on trying to reach them.
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Source
Originally published at www.theguardian.com.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is "US cities expand cooling centers but struggle to get people inside" about?+
More air-conditioned spaces are open during extreme heat, but distance, stigma and risk perception keep many awayResponding to an uptick in extreme heat waves this summer, US cities have increased their efforts to establish cooling centers to keep people safe but continue to encounter a problem: actually getting people to enter the public air-conditioned spaces.Lower-income people, who often do not have – or cannot afford to operate – air conditioning, face a greater risk of heat-related illness
Who reported this story?+
This story was reported by The Guardian World.