461 / 2019-02-28 05:53:18

Optimizing and rebalancing heat-related utility assistance provider-client system of the Salvation Army in Phoenix, Arizona

utility assistance,heat vulnerable population,spatial optimization,GIS

全体主题 > Urban Planning & Modeling

The Phoenix metropolitan area is known for its long and hot summers. To alleviate extreme heat, pools, splash pads, central air conditioning (AC), and urban green infrastructure, offer residents heat mitigation strategies. AC is one of the most widely used methods to reduce heat stress and indoor heat-related death of city residents from the extreme heat exposure. However, due to the high demand of electricity usage, local utility companies (Salt River Project and Arizona Public Service) increase prices during the peak of the summer time every year. This results in high utility bills that are not affordable for many low-income individuals and families. Thus, they have to find alternatives to overcome the extreme heat during the summer such as staying in cooling centers, requesting utility assistance, and depending on their social network such as family and neighbors. Many local government, NGOs, and charitable organization provide utility assistance program for qualified applicants to fulfill their utility assistance need. Due to the limited budget of the utility assistance program, only a very limited number of people receive utility assistance. To understand the current landscape of the utility assistance program and potentially improve the utility assistance program operation efficiency, we have collaborated with the Salvation Army Phoenix Office to understand their current operational status of heat-related utility assistance provider-client system, and utilize GIS, statistics, and spatial optimization methods to provide insights and advice to their system based on their previous utility assistance data. Our research will help the Salvation Army better service the utility assistance population and improve the overall efficiency of the entire provider-client system. Future work includes extending our collaboration to other utility assistance providers in Maricopa County and improve the overall service efficiency by a centralized provider-client system.