DENVER — As the temperature in Denver reached near triple digits, Ben Gallegos found himself trying to cope with the heat without air conditioning. Sitting shirtless on his porch, he swatted flies and used a misting fan to keep cool. Like many in the country’s poorest neighborhoods, Gallegos couldn’t afford an air conditioning unit. He covers his windows with mattress foam and sleeps in the basement to escape the heat. However, this is not enough to protect him from heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses, especially considering his lung condition. But with a monthly income of only $1,000, mainly from Social Security, he knows he can’t afford the luxury of air conditioning. He said, “It would take me about 12 years to save up for something like that. If it becomes difficult to breathe, I’ll have to go to the emergency room.”
As climate change exacerbates heat waves, poor Americans find themselves facing scorching temperatures with limited resources to protect themselves. Air conditioning, once considered a luxury, is now a necessity for survival. In Phoenix, where temperatures soared above 110 degrees for 27 consecutive days, the nine people who died indoors did not have functioning air conditioning or chose to turn it off. Last year, all 86 heat-related deaths indoors were in uncooled environments. “To put it simply, heat kills,” said Kristie Ebi, a professor at the University of Washington who studies heat and health. “Once a heat wave begins, mortality rates increase within about 24 hours.”
The burden of extreme heat falls disproportionately on the poorest and marginalized communities, from Kansas City to Detroit to New York City and beyond. According to a Boston University analysis of 115 U.S. metro areas, there is a significant temperature difference between lower-income neighborhoods and wealthier, predominantly white neighborhoods. This disparity has severe consequences, including increased fatalities. Cate Mingoya-LaFortune of Groundwork USA, an environmental justice organization, said, “The consequences, like death, are significant. But there is also a pervasive sense of misery.”
Some individuals may have window air conditioning units, but these provide minimal relief during extreme heat. Melody Clark from Kansas City, Kansas, explained that when the central air conditioning in her rental house broke, her landlord installed a window unit. However, it does very little during the day. She manages by wetting her hair, cooking outside, keeping the lights off indoors, and using public spaces like libraries to cool off. At night, she moves her bed into the room with the window unit. She noted that her children don’t complain about the heat, but she worries about the impact on their health.
While federal funding has been allocated to subsidize utility costs and the installation of cooling systems, these resources only reach a fraction of the most vulnerable families. In addition, many programs require upfront costs that are unaffordable for low-income households. For instance, the installation of a centralized heating and cooling system can cost up to $25,000. President Joe Biden recently announced measures to combat extreme heat, including expanding the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps low-income households pay their utility bills. However, this program only reaches about 16% of eligible individuals nationwide, and nearly half of the states do not offer federal funds for summer cooling.
As temperatures rise, the cost of cooling also increases. Low-income neighborhoods, like Gallegos’ Denver suburb of Globeville, experience higher temperatures compared to wealthier neighborhoods with more vegetation. The surface temperature in Globeville can be about 8 degrees hotter than in nearby wealthier neighborhoods. This disparity is seen across the country, with poorer areas and communities of color experiencing significantly higher temperatures. According to a study by the Brookings Institution, nearly 10% of U.S. households do not have air conditioning, and this disparity is even greater for marginalized groups. For example, less than 4% of white households in Detroit lack air conditioning, whereas the figure is 15% for Black households.
In Detroit, Katrice Sullivan explained that the cost of air conditioning is a luxury many cannot afford. Even if she had air conditioning, she would carefully manage its use to keep her electricity bill down. Instead, she uses various coping mechanisms, such as pouring water on her head, freezing towels, and sitting in her car with the air conditioner on. Shannon Lewis, who lived in her Detroit home for nearly 20 years without air conditioning, shared that she and her children would sleep, eat, and watch TV in the one room with a window unit while the rest of the house was extremely hot. She now has air conditioning for the first time through a local non-profit, which has made a significant positive impact on her family’s life.
After a deadly heat wave in the Portland area, Oregon passed a law prohibiting landlords from banning air conditioning units. However, most states do not have laws mandating landlords to provide cooling systems. Although billions of dollars were allocated in the federal Inflation Reduction Act for tax credits and rebates to help families install energy-efficient cooling systems, these incentives are not yet widely available. Individuals like Gallegos, who do not pay taxes, do not benefit from these credits. Additionally, the cost of installing cooling systems remains prohibitive for many households, even with subsidies. Lucy Molina, a single mother in Commerce City, Colorado, described how her home reached 107 degrees without air conditioning. She and her children resorted to staying in front of the open freezer or using other methods to try and cool off. However, she acknowledged that they were simply too poor to afford a cooling respite.
As extreme heat becomes more frequent and intense due to climate change, the need for affordable and accessible air conditioning becomes crucial for the most vulnerable populations. Without adequate cooling resources, the poorest Americans experience the brunt of heat-related illnesses and deaths. Addressing this issue requires comprehensive support and policies that prioritize the health and well-being of marginalized communities.