Loaner A/C Program Offers Critical Relief During Extreme Heat 

During times of extreme heat, a broken air conditioner can quickly become more than an inconvenience—it can be a health hazard, especially for older adults, young children, and people with health conditions like heart disease and diabetes.

In 2023, more than 13 million U.S. households reported their homes were uncomfortably hot for 24 hours or more during the prior year, according to Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. And often, a permanent HVAC repair does not always happen right away. People may need to wait for funding, contractors, or other assistance before the work can be completed. At Rebuilding Together North Central Florida (RTNCF), we get calls requesting help like this regularly, and our team sought to answer the question “is there something we can do to solve our neighbors’ immediate needs while they wait?” 

With an Innovation Grant, we launched the BRIDGES program (Building Resiliency Infrastructure During Gaps in Essential Services). Rebuilding Together’s Innovation Grants, made possible by Lowe’s, provide affiliates with funding to test new approaches to home repair and community revitalization that address emerging local needs and have the potential to inform or be replicated across the broader Rebuilding Together network. For our affiliate, the grant turned an approach we had used informally into a structured program.

BRIDGES provides loaner cooling units to eligible homeowners and renters in RTNCF’s service areas of Alachua and Levy Counties based on information collected on a simple intake form while they work toward a permanent repair. The goal is simple: help our neighbors stay safe and comfortable while working toward a longer-term solution.

Relief for a neighbor in need

For our neighbor Patricia, that need became very real when her air conditioner stopped working this summer. For close to a week, she lived without reliable air conditioning as temperatures inside her home reached 85 to 87 degrees and sometimes higher. She tried box and ceiling fans to try to stay cool, but the extreme heat began taking a toll on her physically. Buying a window unit was not possible, and Patricia did not have another place to stay to find relief.

Through the BRIDGES program, RTNCF provided and installed a temporary cooling unit for Patricia while she waited for a permanent solution--ultimately the replacement of her HVAC unit. The BRIDGES units reduced the temperature in her living room, kitchen and dining area, giving her a cooler, safer space in her home while the longer-term repair process continued.

A local idea that could have a larger impact

RTNCF created BRIDGES in response to a need in our own community, but the idea has potential beyond the region, especially as extreme heat no longer confines itself to just summer.

As we continue to implement the program, we are also documenting what we learn so other Rebuilding Together affiliates can consider whether this approach could be adapted to the needs and resources of their own communities. The ability to share practical solutions is a huge strength of the Rebuilding Together network. This, and so many ideas developed to meet local needs, can become a starting point for communities across the country in service of our vision: safe, healthy housing for all.