SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane’s plans to create climate resilience hubs have been stopped. A grant was terminated, leaving residents without additional protection during extreme heat events.
The Gonzaga Climate Institute had planned to turn five community buildings into places of refuge. These locations would have provided safety during intense heat or wildfire smoke. Now that funding is gone.
In 2021, a heat dome brought record-breaking temperatures to Washington. It killed 19 people in Spokane County alone.
“It was the most deadly weather event in Washington state history, and it feels like it’s just a matter of time until that happens again,” said Brian Henning, Director of the Gonzaga Climate Institute.
The planned resilience hubs would have helped residents without air conditioning or air filtration during dangerous weather.
“[The grant would] strengthen those facilities so they can be places of refuge during really intense heat or wildfire smoke,” Henning explained. “They can be places that people can ride out the heat if they don’t have air conditioning, or if they don’t have a way of cleaning their air.”
The West Central Community Center would have been one of these hubs. The Carl Maxey Center was another planned location.
Jillisa Winkler, Executive Director of the Carl Maxey Center, pointed out why her neighborhood needs this help.
“Our neighborhood is historically redlined and under-invested in,” she said. “Some of what that means is that we have a lot of older homes that are not quite well equipped for the current environment or the climate changes that are on the horizon.”
The Gonzaga Climate Institute says it’s looking into all legal options. Its goal is to bring these resources to the communities who need them most.
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