Hamilton City Council to consider additional heat relief for vulnerable residents

A Hamilton politician wants to provide free air conditioners to low-income residents who also have a documented medical condition that is made worse by hot weather.

Councillor Sam Merulla will present a motion at Wednesday night’s meeting of city council to have public health and community services staff investigate the feasibility of such a program.

The Ward 4 councillor notes that such a program already exists in New York State, which gave away 4,143 air conditioners to eligible residents in 2015.

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Public health officials have said that seniors, children and people with chronic health conditions are at greatest risk on heat alert days. Hamilton recorded nine heat alert days in 2016.

Merulla notes that approximately 22 per cent of Hamilton children and 19 per cent of the city’s seniors live in poverty.