Extreme heat poses heightened risk to residents of affordable housing – | The Invading Sea

Report on Extreme Heat Exposure in U.S. Affordable Housing and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: The Intersection of Climate, Housing, and Sustainable Development

A nationwide analysis conducted by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) reveals the critical intersection of the housing and climate crises, posing a significant threat to the achievement of multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The study, focusing on the period between May and October 2024, examined the exposure of nearly 8 million affordable housing units to extreme heat. This issue directly challenges progress on SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by threatening the safety and resilience of housing, and SDG 13 (Climate Action) by highlighting the severe human impacts of inadequate climate adaptation.

Key Findings of the 2024 Analysis

The analysis, which utilized National Weather Service (NWS) county-level heat alerts, produced several critical findings regarding the vulnerability of residents in affordable housing:

1. Widespread Heat Exposure: A majority of the affordable housing units analyzed experienced one or more weeks’ worth of NWS heat warnings during the study period.
2. Significant Regional Impact: While the risk is national, certain areas are disproportionately affected. Florida, for example, ranked fourth in the nation, with 321,147 affordable homes exposed to at least one week of heat alerts.
3. Threats to Health and Economic Stability: The exposure to extreme heat, the deadliest climate impact, directly undermines SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being). Concurrently, the financial burden of cooling homes amid soaring energy prices exacerbates poverty, working against SDG 1 (No Poverty). The structural quality of many homes, built for a previous climate, further compounds these risks.

Disproportionate Impacts and Social Equity: A Challenge to SDG 10

A central finding of the report is the disproportionate risk faced by people of color, a direct challenge to SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). Even after accounting for their overrepresentation in low-income housing, these communities face a greater likelihood of exposure to dangerous heat.

• Florida ranks fourth nationally for the largest percentage of households headed by a person of color that experienced heat alerts.
• This disparity highlights systemic inequities that magnify the health and financial impacts of the climate crisis on marginalized communities.

Policy and Institutional Response: Progress and Setbacks for SDGs 7, 11, and 16

The response from government bodies has been mixed, impacting the potential to advance key SDGs through effective policy and strong institutions.

State and Local Initiatives

• Florida Legislature: Proposed legislation aims to prohibit utility disconnections during extreme heat and require cooling equipment in rental properties. These measures support SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 11 by ensuring access to essential services and safe living conditions.
• City of Miami: A new project to study heat exposure inside homes within “climate justice neighborhoods” represents a crucial step toward gathering locally relevant data to protect vulnerable residents.

Federal Government Challenges

• Institutional Weakening: Actions to undermine the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) threaten the scientific forecasting essential for climate adaptation, hindering progress on SDG 13 and weakening the effectiveness of institutions as outlined in SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).
• Jeopardized Assistance Programs: The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), a vital tool for achieving SDG 1 and SDG 7 by providing energy bill and weatherization assistance to over 6 million people, has faced threats. Program delays caused by layoffs and funding shortages during the federal government shutdown have left vulnerable households at risk during periods of high temperatures.

Federal Government Opportunities

• A recently proposed bipartisan federal housing package presents an opportunity to make critical investments in heat resilience for both new and existing homes, directly supporting the goals of SDG 11.

Recommendations for Advancing Sustainable Development Goals

To address the escalating risks of extreme heat in affordable housing, a whole-of-government approach is necessary to protect residents and advance the SDGs. Key policy actions should include:

1. Strengthen Housing Resilience (SDG 11): Implement and expand policies that require access to cooling and fund home weatherization programs to ensure all housing is safe and resilient to climate change.
2. Ensure Energy Justice (SDG 7 & SDG 1): Provide robust and guaranteed funding for energy affordability programs like LIHEAP to protect low-income households from rising energy costs and prevent utility shutoffs during climate emergencies.
3. Promote Health and Equity (SDG 3 & SDG 10): Develop and enforce policies specifically designed to mitigate the health impacts of extreme heat on the most vulnerable populations, ensuring an equitable response to the climate crisis.
4. Bolster Institutional Capacity (SDG 16 & SDG 13): Reinforce the capacity of scientific agencies and ensure robust, guaranteed recovery funding is available following climate-related disasters to support resilient and just recovery efforts.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 1: No Poverty
   • The article discusses the financial vulnerability of residents in affordable housing, their inability to afford cooling due to “soaring energy prices,” and the importance of programs like the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) that provide energy bill assistance to low-income households. This directly relates to addressing poverty and protecting vulnerable populations.
2. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • The article explicitly mentions that extreme heat is the “deadliest climate impact” and highlights the risk of “heat-related deaths.” It emphasizes the need for policies and investments “to keep people safe in their homes,” linking climate resilience directly to public health outcomes.
3. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
   • The issue of energy affordability is central to the article. It points out the challenge for residents to “cool their homes amid soaring energy prices” and discusses policies like prohibiting “residential utility disconnections” and providing “energy bill assistance.” This connects to ensuring access to affordable and reliable energy services, which includes cooling.
4. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • The analysis presented in the article finds that “people of color face disproportionate risks of exposure to dangerous heat.” It specifies that Florida has the “largest percentage of households that experienced heat alerts headed by a person of color,” highlighting the unequal impact of the climate crisis based on race.
5. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • The article’s core focus is the “colliding housing and climate crises” in cities. It addresses the shortage of “affordable housing,” the need for “housing retrofit programs,” and making homes resilient to climate impacts like extreme heat. This aligns with the goal of making cities and human settlements safe, resilient, and sustainable.
6. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • The entire article is framed around the impacts of the climate crisis, specifically “extreme heat.” It calls for strengthening “resilience to a changing climate,” mitigating the impacts of extreme heat, and taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts on vulnerable communities.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Under SDG 1 (No Poverty)
   • Target 1.5: By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters. The article’s focus on protecting affordable housing residents from “killer heat” and the need for recovery funding after disasters directly supports this target.
2. Under SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being)
   • Target 3.d: Strengthen the capacity of all countries, in particular developing countries, for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks. The article’s mention of “heat-related deaths” and the use of National Weather Service “heat alerts” as an early warning system aligns with managing the health risks posed by extreme heat.
3. Under SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy)
   • Target 7.1: By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services. The discussion on “soaring energy prices,” the need for energy assistance programs like LIHEAP, and proposed legislation to “require cooling equipment” and prevent utility disconnections all point to the goal of ensuring affordable access to essential energy for cooling.
4. Under SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)
   • Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status. The article’s finding that “people of color face disproportionate risks” directly addresses the need to tackle inequalities and ensure the safety and inclusion of all racial and economic groups.
5. Under SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities)
   • Target 11.1: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services. The article’s central theme is the struggle to “build and preserve affordable housing” that is safe from climate impacts like extreme heat.
   • Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected… by disasters… with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations. Extreme heat is treated as a deadly disaster, and the article’s analysis focuses on protecting vulnerable residents in affordable housing.
6. Under SDG 13 (Climate Action)
   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. The call for “household-level investments in heat resilience,” “home weatherization,” and policies to mitigate the impacts of extreme heat directly relates to building adaptive capacity to climate change.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Number of affordable housing units exposed to extreme heat: The article explicitly states that the analysis measured the exposure of “nearly 8 million units” and found that in Florida, “321,147 homes” were exposed to one or more weeks’ worth of heat alerts. This is a direct indicator of vulnerability.
2. Frequency and duration of heat alerts: The analysis uses “National Weather Service (NWS) county-level heat alerts” and measures exposure in terms of “one or more weeks’ worth of NWS heat warnings.” This serves as an indicator of the severity of climate hazards.
3. Number of heat-related deaths: The article refers to “heat-related deaths” and “killer heat,” implying that the mortality rate from extreme heat is a key indicator of the success or failure of protective policies.
4. Disaggregated data on exposure by race: The finding that Florida ranks fourth in the “percentage of households that experienced heat alerts headed by a person of color” is a specific indicator used to measure racial inequality in climate impacts.
5. Number of households receiving energy assistance: The article mentions that the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides assistance to “over 6 million people annually.” This is a quantitative indicator of the reach of social safety nets for energy affordability.
6. Rate of residential utility disconnections: The proposal of legislation to “prohibit residential utility disconnections during extreme heat” implies that the number or rate of such disconnections is a relevant indicator of energy insecurity and vulnerability.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: theinvadingsea.com