Battling 50 Degrees Heat: High-Deck Settlement Residents Fight Against Heat and Stigmatization

People living in the High-Deck settlement are struggling greatly because the indoor temperature of their homes reaches up to 50 degrees during the summer months. The stagnation of air between the buildings and the lack of shaded areas make the feeling of heat much more unbearable. Moreover, this neighborhood is stigmatized as a problem area not only climatically but also socially. Residents face both the negative effects of extreme weather temperatures and the prejudices of society at the same time. This dual challenge makes the living conditions in the settlement increasingly difficult.

Clotilde Bry-Chemarin, one of the local residents who provided information about the settlement's situation, states that their neighborhood is literally a 'hotspot.' She notes that during the summer months, the interiors of worn-out and unmaintained buildings heat up easily, and the hot air gets trapped within the structures. This situation is felt much more intensely, especially during the severe heat waves experienced in recent seasons. According to Bry-Chemarin, the lack of insulation in the buildings and their architectural structures not allowing airflow are among the main causes of the problem. Therefore, residents need permanent solutions to get rid of the heat accumulated inside their homes.

Observations made on the streets reveal how hard residents are trying to cope with these extreme temperatures. Tenants trying to block strong sunlight from their windows hang thick fabrics and covers to create shade. In addition, fans and portable fans used for cooling are out of stock in the shops within the settlement. This situation clearly shows the high demand for air-cooling equipment and the insufficient supply. These temporary solutions that people try to find with their own means are considered just the tip of the iceberg.

Clotilde Bry-Chemarin is also an active member of a civil initiative established years ago to improve living standards in the settlement. Initially, this group took action by focusing on basic infrastructure problems such as leaking roofs of the buildings. However, over time, with the increasing effects of global climate change, they also brought the heat issue to their agenda. The group's main goal is to mobilize the responsible parties and authorities and create collective pressure to improve the conditions. They emphasize that these chronic inadequacies in housing conditions are not just a winter or summer problem, but a structural crisis that lasts year-round.

This difficult picture experienced in the High-Deck settlement represents a typical problem that arises today at the intersection of modern urbanization and the climate crisis. Disadvantaged neighborhoods, due to their old and inadequate infrastructure, are the first areas to take the heaviest blows of global warming. This effort by the residents of the settlement is of great importance not only to protect their own health and peace but also to demand a more livable urban environment. It is essential for the authorities to address these structural and social problems as a whole and produce solutions so that the local people can breathe a sigh of relief. Otherwise, with each passing summer, the crisis in such settlements will become deeper and more deadly.