A total of 1,066 air conditioning units were installed for residents living at properties overseen by the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, it was announced Monday.
Mayor Karen Bass made the announcement Monday morning alongside Rep. Maxine Waters, who represents communities in South L.A., as well as representatives from HACLA and the Department of Water and Power. The air conditioners were provided through the city’s Heat Mitigation Home Improvement Program, which aims to help residents stay cool during extreme heat events.
Air conditioners are purchased in bulk through rebates available from DWP’s Cool LA initiative.
“As temperatures continue to rise across Los Angeles, protecting residents from extreme heat is both a public health priority and a climate priority,” Bass said in a statement.
“This investment will help families stay safe, lower their energy bills, and improve residents’ quality of life,” Bass added.
Waters, D-Los Angeles, said she was able to jump start the program with federal funding.
“I am especially pleased that I was able to secure more than $4 million in federal Community Project funding to jumpstart this initiative for air conditioners in the Nickerson Gardens, Imperial Courts, Gonzaque Village, and Jordan Downs facilities in my district,” Waters said in a statement.
City Councilman Tim McOsker, who represents Watts, emphasized the program is about ensuring families have a safe and comfortable home as extreme heat becomes more common.
“By expanding access to energy-efficient cooling, we’re helping families stay healthy, lower their energy costs, and better prepare our communities for the challenges of a changing climate. Efforts like this remind us that meeting the needs of our public housing communities takes partnership, innovation, and a willingness to find creative solutions,” McOsker said in a statement.
Bass also highlighted the Climate Action Plan for Los Angeles, a roadmap unveiled in April that established more than 50 measurable actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve climate resilience, expand clean energy and improve public health.
The plan calls for increasing the city’s use of solar power by 2030, planting more trees, and expanding its cooling centers, among other things.
The mayor noted that her new Chief Heat Officer Daniela Simunovic is expected to coordinate citywide efforts to protect residents from the impacts of extreme heat. She will also lead the city’s Climate Emergency Mobilization Office.
Simunovic has more than 20 years of experience working on environmental justice and climate issues in California.
Simunovic had served as Bass’ senior director of climate and sustainability for three years prior to her appointment. She previously served as a senior adviser for the California Air Resources Board, the entity responsible for protecting state residents from air pollution.
Earlier this month, the Substack Climate Colored Goggles first reported Simunovic’s appointment.
Simunovic began in the role May 31 after the mayor’s administration quietly fired Marta Segura, who was the first person appointed to the position by former Mayor Eric Garcetti in 2021 when the office was created.
During the city’s budget process in 2025, Bass proposed eliminating the climate office in a bid to address a $1 billion budget shortfall. The move was ultimately rejected by the City Council, but it was agreed the office would move from Public Works to the Emergency Management Department.