Community Resilience

Senior Coastsiders, a gathering place and resource center for older adults, transformed their community center into a Resilience Hub, which opened on August 17, 2022. To achieve this, they used County grant funding to purchase and install air coolers, air purifiers, misting fans, indoor and outdoor air quality monitors, and solar window coverings for temperature control. These measures protect the health of their members during days with extreme heat and poor air quality. The Hub is now available to its over 2,000 members and can accommodate up to 269 visitors at a time.

Hope United Methodist Church, a welcoming and inclusive faith community in South San Francisco, transformed their space into a Resilience Hub. They partnered with California Interfaith Power and Light (CIPL) and used County grant funding to purchase and install a backup battery system to complement their existing solar panels and upgraded their HVAC system with MERV-13 filters. Additionally, they added HEPA filters to extend the life of their air purifiers. The Church and CIPL also conducted engagement events in South San Francisco to educate the community on climate and disaster preparedness. These efforts are helping the community be prepared for future emergencies.

The Center for Independence of Individuals with Disabilities (CID), a center operated by and for people with disabilities and older adults, used their grant funding to acquire ten portable power stations to loan to at-risk individuals who rely on electricity for critical health equipment. These portable power stations can be deployed during emergencies and Public Safety Power Shutoffs. CID also served a broader audience through educational events and developed personalized disaster preparedness plans for 227 individuals.

El Concilio, a bi-lingual Latinx-led organization that provides services to underserved communities, conducted a study to compare the effectiveness of two heat resilience measures for renters: portable heat pumps and cellular shades. They began by surveying residents about past- and post-heat season heat impacts and distributed heat resilience information to 40 low-income renters. The study found both measures effective and well received, with portable heat pumps generally being the preferred option.