Advocates say air conditioning is no longer a luxury but a public health and affordability issue. The growing number of people dying without sufficient cooling when outdoor temperatures rise underscores the necessity of air conditioning in areas affected by rising summer temperatures. That's especially true for people over 60 who live in older mobile homes, trailers and RVs lacking proper insulation and AC. Calls have increased for better policies to protect vulnerable low-income people. In Arizona's hot Maricopa County last year there were 156 indoor heat-related deaths, often in homes without electricity or with an AC unit that was broken or turned off.
