By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – STAR Village is making changes to prepare for triple-digit heat and monsoon storms as summer approaches.
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The outdoor safe sleeping site near Grant and Stone in Tucson opened to residents in mid-October and has not yet had to account for triple-digit heat or monsoon rain and winds lasting for extended periods of time.
“It is a continuous improvement project for sure because it is outside and it changes with the elements and adjustments need to be made,” said Tisha Tallman, CEO of the Primavera Foundation.
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The Primavera Foundation has turned two of its communal tents into air-conditioned heat-relief tents to be used day and night ahead of the heat.
“There will be enough spaces for every woman to go into a respite tent with air conditioning if the nights are just too warm this summer, which we’re predicting it probably will be,” Tallman said.
Tallman said some other changes have already been made.
“Most recently went from the dome tents to the tall tents, so we do believe that’s gonna be better for them during the warmer months as well,” Tallman said.
The tents have better circulation to help with the heat and are sturdier to better withstand monsoon winds and rain.
“We had extreme monsoon winds and rain late last year, so we did experience that for the first few months,” Tallman said.
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She said during that time, the extra shading above the tents worked well to catch rain to ensure residents’ individual tents weren’t taking the brunt of the storms.
Residents said upcoming extreme weather has been on their minds, but they’re hoping the measures STAR Village has in place will make them much more comfortable than they’ve been during past summers.
“Obviously, these women are coming from the streets and from other encampments without that type of heat protection, so certainly STAR Village is gonna serve as a little bit better – an improvement over a summer that they may have been in the past in an encampment or on the street,” Tallman said.
Tallman said Primavera’s budget doesn’t always account for the vast number of supplies it needs during the summer months. The foundation is looking for donations of everyday heat items like hats, sunscreen, misters, and water.
You can donate to The Primavera Foundation’s Water. Rest, Shade campaign.
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