This report examines how budget-constrained households balance spending on air conditioning versus other essentials like food and clothing during hot weather. Using banking data from Houston, Los Angeles, and Chicago, it finds that low-income households often cope with high electricity bills by reducing air conditioning use and enduring more heat. The findings aim to help policymakers identify strategies to better support these households and improve their welfare amid rising temperatures.

Electrifying heating systems with air-to-air heat pumps is crucial for achieving global greenhouse gas targets. This report uses simulations of 550,000 U.S. households to evaluate the costs and benefits of various heat pump performance levels and insulation upgrades. The analysis highlights the potential for significant emissions reductions and identifies the importance of efficiency and insulation in optimizing cost-effectiveness. It also suggests that supportive incentives and policies may be necessary to address affordability challenges and promote widespread adoption.

Large multifamily buildings with central heating systems that burn fossil fuels are among the hardest to decarbonize, but new systems such as window-mounted heat pumps, central air-to-water heat pumps, and “mono-block” mini heat pumps provide new options for decarbonizing these buildings. This report finds that window heat pumps generally have the lowest life-cycle capital and energy costs compared to various decarbonization options. 

To support resilience planning, Stewards of Affordable Housing for All conducted a comprehensive risk assessment across its members’ portfolios, using free and nationally available tools. To help the affordable housing field take action, SAHF has developed a suite of tools that make it easier to navigate and respond to climate risks.

Enterprise hosted an online event featuring a panel of leaders in their field for a conversation about the current landscape of climate resilience, relevant strategies, and innovative funding mechanisms. Panelists were Krista Egger, VP, Building Resilient Futures, Enterprise (moderator); Steve Morel, CEO, Montgomery County Green Bank; Abby Ross, CEO, The Resiliency Company; Andrew Rumbach, senior fellow and co-lead, Climate and Communities Practice Area, Urban Institute; and Lauren Westmoreland, VP of Energy and Sustainability, Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future. The event also discussed the impact of Enterprise's Resilience Academies. To date, the program has supported 140 affordable housing providers across 25 states, delivering $525,000 in pass-through grants to advance climate resilience.

Compiling national outdoor air pollution data from across the government and other expert sources, this report shows the extent of the harm caused to people and the environment from fossil fuel burning equipment in homes and buildings, the disproportionate impact this pollution has on environmental justice communities and other vulnerable demographic groups, and how the use of methane gas in buildings is connected to the broader system of methane gas extraction and distribution.

WE ACT's Out of Gas, In with Justice pilot studied the feasibility and benefits of electrification in New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) by comparing improvements to air quality and participant satisfaction between 10 apartments with induction stoves and 10 with their existing gas stoves. It is the first study of its kind to focus on the effects of residential cooking electrification with tenants in-place in an urban public housing setting with low-income residents and residents of color. This pilot offers lessons for policymakers, public housing agencies, and affordable housing providers on cooking electrification and its impact on indoor air quality, social acceptance of electrification measures, and infrastructure challenges for existing housing in environmental justice communities.

Communities across the nation are regularly experiencing natural disasters or recovering from them. While all communities are at risk, low-income communities are disproportionately affected by climate events and often have limited resources to recover. This guide provides owners and operators of multifamily housing with practical guidance on re-designing and retrofitting their buildings to adapt to and provide protection from climate risks and other potential hazards.

The Enterprise Portfolio Protect Tool helps owners, operators and developers of affordable housing understand which properties are at highest risk from flooding, fire, earthquakes and other natural hazards. This tool offers users the ability to identify highest risk properties and offers recommendations and resources to help minimize potential harm to your property or properties and keep residents and their homes safe.

Salem Heights Apartments, an affordable multifamily property in Massachusetts, recently underwent a deep energy retrofit to achieve passive house performance. This case study highlights the retrofit design strategies that enable 60% energy use reduction and show the integrated benefit of efficiency improvements, electrification, and solar. Specific strategies are described for the building envelope, exterior insulation, HVAC, and solar energy.