Sponsors (31)
Introduced June 4, 2025 by Yassamin Ansari · Last progress June 4, 2025
The bill channels federal funding to reduce urban heat exposure and build local cooling resilience—especially for disadvantaged neighborhoods—trading off near-term public costs, administrative complexity, and the risk that slow tree-growth, maintenance needs, or narrow eligibility rules limit how quickly and evenly benefits materialize.
Residents in underserved, low-income, and majority-nonwhite urban neighborhoods gain access to federal grants and projects that directly reduce heat exposure and heat-related illness (trees, cool roofs, cooling centers).
Local governments and communities receive federal infrastructure funding (including up to $30M/year programs and grants) to install cooling infrastructure, renewable-powered cooling centers, and other resilience measures that lower energy costs and reduce outages.
Urban tree planting and reflective/green infrastructure projects can improve local air and water quality and provide other environmental co-benefits in targeted neighborhoods.
Taxpayers fund the program (explicit $30M/year authorization plus other grant costs), increasing federal spending commitments that could affect federal/local budgets.
Administrative burdens and limited applicant support (application complexity for nonprofits, a 3% cap on technical assistance, discretionary 'other actions' approvals, and up to 5% for oversight) could reduce program uptake, create uncertainty, and divert funds from projects.
Cooling benefits from trees and green infrastructure take years to materialize and require ongoing maintenance; near-term heat risks persist and maintenance or poor siting can cause infrastructure damage or allergen problems.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Creates a HUD grant program ($30M/yr FY2026–2033) to fund urban heat mitigation projects and prioritizes high-poverty, low-tree-canopy census tracts.
Creates a HUD-run Urban Heat Mitigation and Management Grant Program to fund tree planting, cool roofs/pavements, shade structures, cooling centers, urban forestry planning, and related projects that reduce excess urban heat. Grants target high-poverty census tracts and communities with low tree canopy and high summer temperatures, require community engagement and heat‑impact analysis, and are authorized at $30 million per year for FY2026–FY2033.