Homeless shelters offer cooling services amid week of high temperatures

The National Weather Service has forecast high temperatures above a hundred degrees for the next seven days in Boise.

These conditions can leave anyone susceptible to heat exhaustion and heat stroke. But these temperatures are especially dangerous for unhoused individuals with no place to cool off.

Sarah Juliano-Berg is sitting in the shade outside the Interfaith Sanctuary. She says she’s sensitive to heat and is keeping her water jug full.

“I'm like really concerned about the people that get epilepsy seizures from the heat, and the people who really can't handle it,” said Juliano-Berg.

Homeless shelters like the Interfaith Sanctuary and Corpus Christi House provide water and shaded space for those needing an escape from the heat, but resources are still limited.

Leslie Ashley was inside the Corpus Christi day shelter as a computer lab monitor on Tuesday. She says she worked there as a cook for six years and despite being indoors, the heat and poor airflow made working conditions tough.

“It was hot - because we don't have the air conditioning. We have a fan on the wall and a fan on top of one of the refrigerators. There just, there's not enough air pushed around in the kitchen,” Ashley said in an interview.

Last week, OSHA announced a proposal to protect workers in indoor and outdoor spaces. If approved, this would be the first federal rule of its kind to enforce protections across the United States.