Excess Urban Heat Mitigation Act of 2025

Key Points

• This bill would create a new grant program through the Department of Housing and Urban Development to help cities fight extreme heat. It would provide $30 million every year from 2026 through 2033 for projects that lower local temperatures, such as planting trees, installing "cool roofs," and building more shade at bus stops.
• The program focuses on helping people in low-income neighborhoods, who often live in areas with more concrete and fewer trees. At least 75% of the grant money must go to neighborhoods where poverty rates are 20% or higher and summer temperatures are often much hotter than nearby areas.
• Local governments and nonprofits could use the money for many cooling solutions. This includes creating community gardens, opening cooling centers that run on renewable energy, and training workers to care for city trees. These projects aim to reduce heat-related illnesses and deaths, which currently claim over 600 lives a year in the U.S.
• The federal government would typically cover 80% of the cost for these projects, but it could pay for the entire project in areas facing extreme financial hardship. This ensures that the communities most at risk from heat waves can afford to make these changes even if they have very little money in their local budgets.

Impact Analysis

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