For the past 25 years, it has been my privilege to lead a team that provides a variety of home improvement programs for Arizonans of all ages. I’ve seen firsthand how a properly weatherized home or a paid utility bill can mean the difference between life and death during our brutal summers. 

In a state where summer temperatures regularly soar into the triple digits, rising utility bills and non-working or failing cooling systems can be fatal. But this year the problem isn’t just the price of keeping cool — it’s the erasure of the programs that help our most under-resourced neighbors survive the heat. 

On April 1, 2025, nearly the entire staff administering the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) was laid off. LIHEAP and the organizations it supports assist 6.2 million low-income households each year, including seniors, families with children, and people with disabilities. It helps fund the work we do at AllThrive 365: weatherizing homes, providing utility assistance, delivering meals and more.

One of the most vital programs supported by LIHEAP is the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). Since its inception in 1977, WAP has been a cornerstone of energy equity and housing stability, backed by decades of strong bipartisan support. With that support from both sides of the aisle, WAP has transformed the lives of more than 7 million households nationwide, and more than 26,000 in Arizona alone. For many low-income families, seniors and individuals with disabilities, weatherization is the difference between hardship and health, between surviving the summer and thriving at home. It’s not just about lowering utility bills — it’s about preserving health, restoring dignity and, in many cases, saving lives.

The uncertainty surrounding the future of these federal programs is already sending ripple effects across the country. In Maricopa County, where last year’s extreme summer heat claimed 602 lives — a slight but meaningful decrease from 645 in 2023 — we were just beginning to see signs of progress. Programs like the Weatherization Assistance Program were playing a critical role in that shift, helping vulnerable residents stay safer in their homes. But now, with no clear path to restored funding or operational capacity, that progress is at risk. So far this summer, local emergency departments have already reported over 1,000 heat-related illness visits — and we haven’t even reached the hottest part of the season. The stakes couldn’t be higher.

As a direct consequence of these possible funding cuts, AllThrive 365 was forced to halt intake of new clients for our Weatherization Assistance Program as of April 22. Our wait-list number has grown significantly since this hold was issued, and we are currently facing a backlog of more than 500 individuals and families with an urgent need for safer, healthier, and homes with a lower financial energy burden. 

For decades, this program has allowed Arizonans to age in a place with dignity, reduced hospitalizations from chronic conditions like asthma and COPD, and drastically lowered monthly utility bills. Without it, tens of thousands are now at risk — not just of discomfort, but of serious health consequences.

This is more than a housing issue — it’s a public health emergency. Heat-related deaths have reached alarming levels among the most under-resourced members of our community. And with no secured LIHEAP funding for the coming year, we fear those numbers will rise.

Roughly 20,000 AllThrive 365 participants rely on federally funded programs. Now, they’re left in limbo, unsure where to turn for help. Meanwhile, the cost of cooling continues to rise. The National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA) estimates that the average family could pay $784 to cool their home this summer. For many Arizonans already struggling to make ends meet, that’s simply out of reach.

The combination of record-breaking heat and shrinking federal dollars is a dangerous one. AllThrive 365 is urging Congress, state, and local leaders to act and prioritize funding for LIHEAP and the Department of Energy’s weatherization programs. We can’t afford to put more lives at risk due to a lack of funding.

I’ve dedicated my career to helping people live with dignity and safety. But now, I’m watching as decades of progress unravel. We need Congress, state and local leaders to act — urgently. Restore LIHEAP. Fund weatherization. We can’t let another summer become a death sentence.

Katie Martin is the AllThrive 365 Home Improvements Program administrator.