This year Arizona witnessed an unprecedented summer of heat waves. In Phoenix, the thermometer climbed above 110 degrees 54 times, and 31 of those days came back to back. As heat waves grow in intensity and consistency, the resilience of the homes that Arizonians inhabit becomes critical. As one of the few states without a statewide building code, Arizona leaves the requirements up to local jurisdictions. Lower-income communities like Gila Bend in Maricopa County and Kayenta on the Navajo Nation still operate according to standards that haven’t been updated since 2006. These outdated building bodes are putting people in life-threatening situations. 

But this crisis is a two-sided problem: these older houses also use more energy.  Keeping rooms at a comfortable temperature, illuminating spaces, and heating water for bathing uses more energy and costs more money. In fact, households with low incomes spend more than 13 percent of their total income on energy, which is nearly five times more than other, more well-off, households. 

The climate crisis and housing are unavoidably intertwined. In a world of rising energy prices and concerns about resource depletion, the financial and physical costs of older housing become an urgent topic, especially when considering how it disproportionately affects lower-income families. 

Investing in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and climate protection programs are important ways for the government to provide low-income communities with healthier and more resilient homes. Homes that use energy and water efficiently, aren’t just more environmentally sustainable, they can also reduce expenses for lower-income households. 

A key piece of the Biden administration’s climate policy is the Weatherization Assistance Program, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while lowering energy costs for 700,000 low-income U.S. households over the next five years. Weatherization assistance is meant to address the whole house by “installing insulation, updating heating and cooling systems, upgrading electrical appliances, and taking other common-sense actions that will make homes warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer with less energy usage.”

However, this program is still leaving behind the homes that need the most help.  Homes that inspectors decide need too significant of repairs or have too high repair costs are deferred. Ultimately, the homes in the worst conditions and those living in them are left behind.

For my beat this semester, I will be focusing on U.S. climate change policies related to extreme weather and affordable housing. I will write about policies like the Weatherization Assistance Program and evaluate their promises to mitigate the effects of environmental issues. Ensuring the availability of safe, affordable housing while mitigating and building resilience to climate change is more crucial now than ever.