Arizona’s Heat Crisis and the Risks for Mobile Home Residents

Arizona faces a severe heat crisis, with hundreds of people dying annually from heat-related causes. Many of the most vulnerable are those living in manufactured homes. An NPR investigation reveals how official records undercount heat-related deaths. Thousands die across the U.S. from heat each year, with mobile home residents being at higher risk.

Understanding the Risk

Geographer Patricia Solis of Arizona State University uses maps to understand patterns that are not apparent. Tasked with addressing heat-related deaths in Arizona, she gathered various stakeholders at ASU to examine maps of Phoenix, overlaid with heat-related death data and locations where residents receive electric bill assistance. The data revealed that mobile home parks had significant clusters of deaths and little assistance.

Research shows that mobile home residents in Maricopa County face a six to eight times higher risk of heat-related death compared to those in traditional homes. NPR and Boston University’s investigation suggests around 9,000 Americans die annually from heat, much more than reported.

Challenges of Manufactured Housing

Manufactured housing poses a significant risk due to issues with age, condition, and financial constraints. Climate change exacerbates the already hot conditions in Arizona’s desert cities, such as Phoenix and Tucson, leaving residents struggling in soaring temperatures.

Sheri Petty’s story illustrates the danger. Living in a poorly insulated trailer with minimal cooling, she and her daughter Tara Gentner faced unbearable conditions when their AC systems failed. Petty died from heat exposure, highlighting the vulnerability of mobile home residents.

Inefficiency and Insecurity

Many manufactured homes across the U.S., particularly older ones, lack proper insulation and have outdated infrastructure. They are often in areas with little shade, compounding the heat risk. Mobile home owners may own their homes but not the land, complicating financing and improvements.

Residents often face power failure or cannot afford the high costs of running air conditioning. As a result, many endure dangerous heat, as experienced by Paul Valdez in South Tucson, who resorts to using his car’s AC during power outages.

Efforts Towards Solutions

In response, Arizona officials have begun addressing these risks. Solis and her team initiated legal changes to allow residents to install necessary cooling modifications. Tucson and Pima County offer programs for upgrading home systems, yet demand often outstrips supply.

Efforts also include raising awareness among mobile home residents about heat risks and available resources. Addressing these issues requires recognizing the impact of climate change indoors and scaling up support programs.

Tara Gentner’s experience underscores this need. Her mother’s death reveals that heat threats persist inside homes. Solutions are necessary to ensure that those in manufactured housing can live safely in an increasingly hotter environment.