Tempe's New Mobile Cooling Trailer To Help The Unsheltered

TEMPE, AZ — People experiencing homelessness in Tempe have a new place to go for respite from the heat.

The city of Tempe just launched its new mobile cooling center, a 20-foot trailer, named Jenny's Trailer.

The trailer is the result of a collaboration among the city of Tempe, local social justice minister Jenny Norton and Arizona State University, according to a news release from the city. The trailer is staffed by the city's HOPE homeless outreach team, and in addition to providing shelter from dangerous heat, it will also serve to connect those in need to help with housing and social services.

“Arizona’s summer heat can be deadly, and those living outdoors need access to places like Jenny’s Trailer, where they can cool off and get a cold bottle of water,” said Tempe Mayor Corey Woods in the news release.

Council member Lauren Kuby, who works at the university's Stardust Center for Affordable Homes and the Family, brought the different parties together for the trailer collaboration. The center was established to address the need for affordable housing in the Valley, according to its website.

“The city is grateful for our longtime collaborations with Jenny and her husband Bob Ramsey and Arizona State University, and for our shared desire to serve individuals in need during the most difficult and dangerous months of the year,” she said in the news release.

Norton is a longtime philanthropist, activist and advocate for people experiencing homelessness. Norton donated $15,000 to the city’s HOPE homeless outreach program to purchase the trailer and then ASU’s Engineering Projects in Community Service students converted the trailer into a mobile cooling center.

The city plans to open Jenny’s Trailer on days with extreme heat. This year the city piloted the trailer project, but next summer Tempe plans to open the trailer during the summer months at various locations around the city.

HOPE outreach specialists in the trailer will provide those experiencing homelessness with connections to temporary shelter, housing programs, the city’s Tempe Works jobs program, community medical services, and more, according to the press release. During cooler months, the HOPE team plans to use the trailer to continue providing access to those programs and services.