By Annika Larson, Federal Policy Coordinator at WE ACT for Environmental Justice
Our homes should make us feel safe. Americans spend approximately 90 percent of our time indoors. Yet, for Black, Brown, and low-income people across America, the reality is vastly different. Health hazards in the home are making people sick. As we see historic investments in climate solutions for buildings, we need to put healthy homes first to achieve a just future for all.
From rural towns to major cities, people of color and low-income people living in public and affordable housing face neglect, underinvestment, and prejudicial policy which has made living in their homes hazardous. From mold to pests, poor indoor air quality to inadequate heating and cooling, vulnerable households are fighting illness while also grappling with the impacts of the climate crisis. Recent research shows that Black people are disproportionately impacted by extreme heat, causing compounding medical issues.
In living rooms, simply existing is a threat: Black children are exposed to greater amounts of lead. In the kitchen, gas stoves emit toxic pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, benzene, carbon monoxide, and formaldehyde, exacerbating respiratory illnesses like asthma and increasing cancer risk. Smaller and older housing units with inefficient appliances and inadequate ventilation compound these negative impacts. At the same time, people of color also live with outsized exposure to outdoor pollution, making the need for safe homes even more pressing.
Participant of WE ACT ‘Out of Gas’ pilot program, Angela Norales
Living every day in unhealthy environments is a violation of basic rights. At WE ACT for Environmental Justice, we took action in NY through our Healthy Homes Campaign and are now taking our efforts to the national level with ‘Healthy Homes First.’
In 2021, we launched a pilot program in NY that included air monitoring and controlled cooking tests in ten NYCHA apartments with induction cooktops compared to ten with gas stoves. The results of our ‘Out of Gas, In with Justice’ study were astonishing: On average, nitrogen dioxide concentrations in apartments with gas stoves were 190 percent higher than in those without. Households with induction cooktops saw a 35 percent reduction in daily nitrogen dioxide concentrations. Residents unanimously loved their new induction stoves, citing ease of use, reduced cooking times, and health improvements including fewer asthma symptoms.
Induction stoves are a welcome and necessary solution. They show that cleaner, more efficient electric technologies not only improve air quality and public health but also reduce greenhouse gas emissions driving the climate crisis. As was shared in our 2023 National Building Pollution Report created with the Sierra Club and Physicians for Social Responsibility, homes and buildings are a significant contributor to emissions and pollutants. Induction and clean energy appliance technologies will be made more readily available as investments roll in from the Inflation Reduction Act at the state level to make homes healthier and more efficient through an equitable approach. Recently, the NY HEAR Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates Program launched, reflecting the New York State Inflation Reduction Act funding for these programs. Unfortunately, it did not include induction stoves, a true missed opportunity we hope is remedied for future versions, especially for multi-family coverage.
WE ACT and fellow organizations from across the country at the U.S. Capitol to advance Healthy Homes First policy
But fossil fuel appliances are only one part of the equation. WE ACT has long championed whole home upgrades, including lead and mold remediation, pest removal, and an end to fossil fuel combustion in homes and buildings. Our educational campaign and advocacy for key legislative and regulatory actions aims to ensure just that: providing the opportunity for people living in public and affordable housing to reap the benefits of electrification and clean renewable energy by prioritizing home health and safety.
We must streamline pre-weatherization processes and insulation so that the most vulnerable homes are not left behind. This will ensure housing authorities can install clean, energy efficient equipment, reduce energy burdens, and protect people from extreme weather events. This approach requires a coordinated effort from state and federal lawmakers, funding streams, and a commitment to address legacy disparities of unjust policies.
To begin to achieve these goals, WE ACT mobilized allies from the Midwest, Maryland, Texas, Georgia, Massachusetts, and New York traveling to the nation’s capital to meet with lawmakers and federal agency officials. They shared the message of the “Healthy Homes First” campaign, lived experiences of frontline community groups, research, and recommendations for legislative and regulatory change. Together, lawmakers and advocates explored policies, programs, and funding opportunities to remedy indoor health hazards and advanced weatherization, energy efficiency, and electrification.
The time spent in Washington D.C. was a watershed moment. What started as a local effort has transformed into a national movement, demonstrating how much this issue resonates. The voices of those living with the consequences of housing injustice have often been silenced, but now grow louder together to demand safe, healthy, affordable, efficient homes.
We must listen.