Cascadia Health recently began distributing 191 portable air conditioners to tenants of its affordable housing properties as part of the Portland Clean Energy Fund Heat Response Program. Tenants submitted applications to receive air conditioners, and priority is being given to tenants who are older, have health conditions that increase their risk of heat-related illness, and/or live alone.

Installation of the units began the week of Aug. 15, with all of the units planned to be installed over the next month or so. All tenants who receive air conditioners through the program can take the units with them if they move to other housing.

The city’s Heat Response Program was launched in June 2022 in response to the previous summer’s heat emergency that killed 70 people in Multnomah County. Cascadia Health is one of the affordable housing providers selected by the program to distribute units to its tenants.

“We’re grateful that the Heat Response Program is allowing us to provide air conditioners to some of our most vulnerable tenants,” said Jim Hlava, Cascadia’s Vice President of Housing. “These air conditioners will make a big difference in our tenants’ lives for years to come.”

For more information on the Heat Response Program, go to https://www.portland.gov/bps/cleanenergy/heat-response-program.