When will we protect tenants from extreme heat?

“Even if landlords are aware of and deterred by these tenant protections, they may still choose to proceed with the rebate investment knowing they can raise rents in as little as two years,” Gurevich wrote. “These protections also specifically target evictions and rent increases associated with energy efficiency upgrades, but it is difficult to prove that an eviction or rent increase is the result of such upgrades because landlords are generally not required to give a reason for the rent increase or lease nonrenewal.”

Of course, many tenants can buy and install air conditioners on their own. For poor families who already have trouble paying utility bills, Rising rentsthis option may not bring much relief. More than a quarter According to a 2022 study released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, of U.S. households report having difficulty paying their energy bills. About 10% of respondents keep their home temperatures at unhealthy or unsafe levels out of concern for energy costs. one seventh American households face energy poverty, and low-income people and people of color face disproportionate energy insecurity. New York City researchers found that the most energy insecure New Yorkers also have Higher odds Having respiratory, mental health and cardiovascular conditions, as well as reliance on powered medical equipment, means they are more vulnerable to extreme temperatures. American CitiesPoor communities also Tends to be hot Compare Richer and usually whiter Communities are more likely to have tree-lined streets and green spaces, which can keep streets cooler. More affected The impact of the urban heat island effect is smaller in the United States than in white people.

“Neighborhoods with less green cover are 15 to 20 degrees warmer than neighborhoods with more green cover. If you had a really good system and could afford it, you could make up that difference with air conditioning, but low-income tenants can’t afford it,” said Daniel Aldana Cohen, a sociologist at the University of California, Berkeley, whose research focuses on climate and housing policy. “The warmer it gets, the more it costs to cool it.”