Residents of the Boston Housing Authority (BHA) property Franklin Field live in a heat island. During the increasingly hot summers, residents must make do with fans, air blowers and window AC units to stay cool. Others keep windows and doors ajar so the occasional summer breeze might bring relief.

The BHA and National Grid utility company are collaborating to install geothermal systems to keep 129 apartments cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

These mostly Spanish-speaking residents are on the frontline of Boston’s battle for a greener, more sustainable fossil-fuel free future.