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By Guest Columnist MANDY MAHONEY. U.S. Program Director for the Regulatory Assistance Project
The South has always been defined by heat and humidity. In fact, bragging about heat has become a joke in some circles. But heat will be the biggest threat to the well-being and health of Southern communities over the next decades. Extreme heat is becoming more common as the global climate heats up. This is putting communities of color and low-income people at greatest risk of heat-related illness or even death.
Mandy Mahoney
Since my days as the City of Atlanta’s first sustainability director, I have been dedicated to helping our community face climate change. Last year, I ran for Atlanta’s District 5 City Council seat on a climate-change platform. I was motivated to run because I wanted to address the underlying causes of our biggest problems, which are also climate change issues. The No. Affordable housing is the No.
I knocked at doors six days a weeks, from July through early December. It allowed me to get to know the heart of our community. Atlantans are looking for real solutions to affordable housing and senior citizens ageing in place, as well as public safety and climate changes.
Yes, most people I met wanted me to talk about climate change. They expressed fear, uncertainty, and inability to address climate change. They are aware that climate change is real and is threatening their grandchildren and the world around them. They were curious about how climate change would affect their neighborhood and the city. They also felt that we cannot do anything at the local level, but that rather this is an issue that “they” have to address in Washington.
These feelings and questions opened up the possibility of exploring how climate change affects people’s daily lives. We are intuitively aware that the climate is changing around our lives. Residents are aware of the fact that summers are hotter and more humid than usual, and that major storms are more frequent. Residents are more likely to see their yards, parks, and streets being flooded more often. Even residents who live in more energy-efficient, modern housing are finding that their air conditioners are running longer and their energy bills are rising. Residents who live in older homes needing some TLC understand that air leaks cause cool air to escape and humidity in their homes. It can be miserable to be at home on hot days when the AC unit cannot keep up. These households are at greater risk from mold and mildew, which can lead to asthma and other illnesses.
When we talk about Atlanta’s affordable housing crisis, we focus on building new affordable housing – but we pay very little attention to preserving existing affordable housing. This is a “both and” problem. The Atlanta Regional Commission released a report March 2 that found that “Metro Atlanta lost nearly 60,000 housing units renting for less than $1,250 per month over just a five-year span before the pandemic hit.” This study reinforces that we cannot build our way out of this problem. We must preserve affordable housing and invest in making the housing stock livable.
We have failed to confront the real reason for the low level of affordable housing currently available: The historic racist policy of segregating communities through redlining and other racist housing practices in the late 19th century and 20th centuries. Residents in redlined areas have higher temperatures than those living in other parts of the city. These neighborhoods were often more isolated and had less green space. They also had more roads and larger buildings, which can radiate heat and keep neighborhoods from cooling in the evening.
This shows that the legacy of segregation is still evident in uneven heat exposure for urban residents across the country. According to a Recent studyRedlined neighborhoods are generally 5 degrees warmer than neighboring neighborhoods. However, in extreme heat periods, the temperature difference can be as high at 20 degrees. The largest temperature swings occurred in Southern and Midwestern areas.
Atlanta is an example. The city’s former redlined neighborhoods are on average 9 degrees hotter than other neighborhoods, placing residents at an elevated risk for heat-related illnesses and even death during periods of extreme heat.
Today’s gentrifying neighborhoods are the redlined neighborhoods from the past. East Lake, Edgewood, Kirkwood, Reynoldstown – all places where I knocked on doors during my campaign – are clear evidence of that. I spoke with many African American families that have lived in their homes since the 1970s. They want to live in the same neighborhoods that they love. Too often, their homes are falling apart around them and they don’t have the funds to repair or maintain them. Their homes may become unlivable as the climate changes worsen. It’s the last straw that forces them to sell to one of the dozens of unsolicited calls a week they get from flippers looking to buy their house for a song.
This story is not all bad news. There are resources and funding available to improve homes. A few examples include the U.S. Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program, the City of Atlanta’s Care and Conserve Program, and Georgia Power’s Home Energy Efficiency Assistance Program. Neighborhood in Need and other local grassroots organizations make emergency repairs for seniors. Additional federal funding is also available this year through the American Recovery Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
The bad news is that these programs are not able to meet the demand. It seems like the problem is simple: the demand exceeds the supply. However, this is not the whole story. There is a fundamental problem with our business: Many of these programs are not coordinated and make it difficult for residents to access their resources. We are spending a lot of money on the wrong things, such as the application and intake process, instead of investing in home improvements. Atlanta is also wasting money because many government programs are poorly managed.
This is a solutionable problem. It will take the political will of Mayor Andre Dickens, however, to make affordable housing a priority. He can convene all agencies and organizations working on these issues to call them together and encourage them to work together. We need to make it easy for service providers to apply and encourage programs to work together to get funding. We will achieve a win-win-win situation. Tax dollars can be used effectively, affordable housing stock will continue to be maintained, and the climate will be addressed.
Atlanta’s summers are hot, and they’re going to stay that way, regardless of the impact of climate change. But with a comprehensive approach like the one I’ve described here, the burden of that summer heat doesn’t have to fall on the people who can least afford it.
Author’s note: A special thank you to Will Bryan, Built Environment project manager for the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance, for his thought leadership and research on the issues discussed here.
