Latino communities in Tucson join forces to find solutions for extreme heat

Correction: The video above lists the project as Justicio Juntos. The correct name is Justicia Juntos

In response to the severe effects of climate change, particularly extreme heat, on Latino communities in Southern Arizona, the Justicia Juntos initiative launched at Sentinel Peak Park.

The new coalition was initiated by Tucson-based nonprofit Amistades with the help of a $500,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The effort gained support and partnership with the City of Tucson, Arizona Faith Network, Mi Familia En Accion and more.

“We came together today to talk about the importance of addressing heat and how it’s impacting the Latino community, what we can do together, how we can find solutions,” said President and CEO of Amistades. “And do it in a way that’s strategic and accessible for everyone in the community.”

The overall aim Justicia Juntos focuses on creating safe, climate-resilient spaces for vulnerable Latino communities, which have been shown to be disproportionally impacted by extreme heat.

“It’s the start of getting the community engaged around our climate resilience hub here in Tucson,” said Rebecca Rodriguez of the Hispanic Access Foundation, one of the partnering agencies.

At the heart of this initiative are dedicated climate hubs—spaces designed as sanctuaries from extreme heat, much like cooling centers throughout the county. However, the Justicia Juntos hubs are different, emphasizing trust, cultural relevance, and community involvement.

“For us, resiliency is about finding a place to get out of the heat,” Jasso said. “And doing it in a community where you feel like you’re with people you can trust, that you’re safe with and that you’re doing things that are important to you and are culturally relevant.”

She explained that many traditional cooling centers go underused if community members lack a sense of connection or trust in the space. Justicia Juntos aims to address this by actively engaging with Latino residents to ensure these spaces meet their specific needs.

Rodriguez says that communities are more likely to take action if they have a say in the project’s decision-making.

“The actions are created with their involvement and it’s steps they want to take,” Rodriguez said. “If things are mandated or come down from the top, the community doesn’t have buy-in and won’t continue to do it.”

Over the next few months, the coalition will focus on building a youth leadership team that reflects Tucson’s diverse Latino communities.

These youth leaders will mobilize their communities, hosting workshops and dialogues to collaboratively develop solutions to climate-related challenges, such as extreme heat.

For more on Amistades and the Justicia Juntos initiative, visit their website.