United States Launched September 2025

United States

In Los Angeles, HERA launched a groundbreaking South-to-North initiative that expands our parametric heat insurance and direct cash support program, first piloted in India, to the United States.

Low-income street vendors in Los Angeles—like hundreds of millions of informal workers worldwide, many of them women—are on the frontlines of rising temperatures. As heatwaves intensify, these workers face growing threats to their health and livelihoods, often without access to safety nets or workplace protections.

HERA is working in Los Angeles to provide heat-triggered insurance payouts, forecast-based cash assistance, early warnings, and practical risk-reduction measures. Working alongside women vendors, local NGOs, and insurers, the initiative co-designs protections that help street vendors safeguard both their health and income as Southern California heatwaves grow more severe.

United States Patty Archuleta sits with her wares on an unshaded corner of San Pedro Street in the Historic South Central neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, on September 14, 2025. HERA/Rachel Parsons

Program Highlight

Heat Insurance and Cash Support for LA Street Vendors

Street vendors in Los Angeles are working through brutal heat, risking dehydration, lost income, and long-term health problems just to earn a living.

In a groundbreaking South-to-North initiative, this project brings parametric heat insurance and direct cash support to LA’s outdoor workers.

  • Insurance pays out automatically when temperatures cross a dangerous threshold—no claims, no delays.
  • Small cash payments, triggered by forecasts, help vendors prepare in advance: adjust inventory, reschedule work, stay safe.
  • Workers also receive tailored heat alerts and safety tips to reduce risk.

Adapted from HERA’s model in India, this pilot co-creates solutions that protect health, income, and dignity in a city where heat is rising fast.

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