Houston residents find solution for beating the heat

By Danielle Rexrode
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

It’s August, the hottest month of the year. Temperatures are soaring, and staying cool is a serious challenge. Not only is extreme heat uncomfortable, it can be deadly.

“When the temperature turns ‘Texas hot’—at 100 degrees or better—we need to be very, very careful, particularly if we’re among the 6.5 million baby boomers who will begin to turn 60 next year,” says Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services spokesman Don Rogers.

But the weather doesn’t concern people who live at Eagle’s Trace, because enclosed walkways connect every building on the 70-acre campus.

“We have climate-controlled walkways so we don’t have to get out in the Houston heat to go to the bank, store, doctor, fitness center, swimming pool—it’s absolutely fabulous!” says resident Pat McKinley.

Cool, comfortable, convenient
Take a minute and picture the town that you live in. But don’t just picture your house or neighborhood—think of the entire town, from the local post office and grocery store to the library, colleges, and restaurants in the area. Imagine going to those places without ever getting in and out of a hot car and driving to them. Now you’re picturing what it’s like to live at Eagle’s Trace.

People who live here say they can go to the bank, grab a quart of milk, mail a package, attend a computer class, and meet their dinner dates without going outside in the sweltering heat.

Temperature control
Each apartment home at Eagle’s Trace features an individual thermostat. The monthly service package already includes gas and electric, so residents don’t worry about high energy bills from cooling their homes.

Residents say another advantage of this Houston community is not having to mow the lawn in the summer heat, trim trees, or do anything that would typically go along with maintaining a house.