Houston opens cooling centers for summer; Reliant to provide at least 150 air conditioners for seniors

Angela Blanchard, chief recovery and resilience officer for Mayor Whitmire, opened a "Beat the Heat" press event in Denver Harbor announcing Houston's summer cooling resources and a private-sector donation for seniors.

Mayor Whitmire said the city will operate cooling centers at all multi-service centers, public libraries and City Hall this summer and highlighted a partnership with Reliant Energy that will provide “at least a 150 air conditioners for our seniors to take home.” He thanked the Houston Health Department, the area agency on aging and community partners for organizing the program.

The program matters because extreme heat poses health risks for seniors, children and people with medical conditions. "These centers are here to help. Make sure that you're checking on your neighbors, checking on our seniors, checking on the kids that are at home through the summer," Councilmember Castillo said, urging residents to use and share information about the centers.

Bill Clayton, vice president of customer care at Reliant, described the company's long-running participation in the city program and offered household energy tips. Reliant and its parent NRG have supported cooling centers for about 20 years, Clayton said, and the program has grown from roughly 12 cooling sites to about 23 across the city. Clayton said Reliant and NRG have provided more than $18,000,000 in funds to social service agencies since 2002 and encouraged residents who need bill help to contact Reliant or call 211.

Clayton gave brief energy‑saving advice for hot-weather months: "If you're going to leave your home longer than 4 hours, raise your thermostat, 4 degrees." He also advised that fans are "for people, not for rooms" and recommended running fans only when someone is in the room. Clayton provided Reliant's customer‑care line, (866) 222‑7100, and pointed listeners to texas211.org or dialing 211 for social‑service referrals.

Speakers at the event also thanked BakerRipley, the Houston Health Department and the area agency on aging for operational support and outreach. Mayor Whitmire singled out Angela Blanchard for leading recovery and resilience planning and noted BakerRipley’s role in senior services under her leadership.

Event organizers said cooling centers will be available into September and will offer water and other on-site assistance. The city also provided Spanish-language messaging during the event.

For residents: Reliant’s customer‑care number is (866) 222‑7100; for social‑service referrals call 211 or visit texas211.org. The city’s cooling centers operate at multi‑service centers, public libraries and City Hall; organizers advised residents to check local listings for hours and exact locations.

The event closed with officials staying to answer questions and with outreach staff available in Spanish.