FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 18, 2025
Contact: Chris Dobens, 718-679-8542, chris@weact.org
NEW YORK – The New York City Council today passed Intro 0994 of 2024, which requires landlords to maintain an indoor temperature no higher than 78°F – with 50-percent relative humidity – in occupied apartments when the outdoor temperature is 82°F or higher between June 15th and September 15th.
“Similar to the current City law requiring landlords to maintain a minimum indoor air temperature in occupied apartments during the winter, this law is a major win for environmental justice because people of color are disproportionately harmed by extreme heat, the deadliest impact of climate change, with Black New Yorkers being twice as likely to die from heat-related issues as their white counterparts,” explained Caleb Smith, New York City Policy Manager at WE ACT for Environmental Justice. “Combined with the other legislation passed earlier this year, we are pleased with the progress we are making on addressing extreme heat in New York City.”
As part of the Extreme Heat Coalition, WE ACT had been strongly advocating for this legislation along with Intro 988, which codified the City’s Cooling Center program, and Intro 928, which launched the City’s Cool Pavement pilot program in heat-vulnerable communities.
“We thank New York City Council Member Lincoln Restler for his leadership in sponsoring this legislation, as well as all of our fellow advocates who worked on advancing it,” added Smith.
# # #
WE ACT for Environmental Justice is a Northern Manhattan-based, membership-driven organization whose mission is to build healthy communities by ensuring that people of color and/or low-income residents are meaningfully included in the development of sound and fair environmental health and protection policies and practices. WE ACT has offices in New York and Washington, D.C. Visit us at weact.org and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram.