Climate-related disasters and hazards are worsening each year. This June was the hottest on record for the globe, marking the 13th month in a row to set a monthly temperature record. With a fivefold rise in weather-related disasters, more families and homes are at risk across the United States.

Black renters and homeowners, in particular, experience a disproportionate burden of the impacts of climate change and extreme heat. Energy insecurity—or the inability to adequately meet basic household energy needs—is an underrated challenge with enormous implications for health and health equity. In this context, energy refers to the electricity, gas, or other power sources required for lighting, cooling, heating, or using household appliances and electronic devices.

Energy insecurity does not impact all homeowners equally. Research finds that Black homeowners face greater energy insecurity than white homeowners. The repercussions of this reality are endless. When experiencing energy insecurity, many families struggle to pay other bills, such as rent or groceries, and are forced to keep their homes at temperatures that are far too hot or cold for safe conditions.

The Cost of Energy in Times of Climate Change

Extreme heat remains the deadliest climate hazard in the United States. While heat itself does not discriminate, the historical legacy of redlining minority neighborhoods in more than 100 American cities does.

Today,many of the nation’s historically redlined districts are now home to the hottest areas in the United States. In places like Baltimore, Dallas, Miami, and New York, neighborhoods that are poorer—and have more residents of color—range between 5 and 20 degrees hotter in the summer. Treeless tracts of hot concrete and pavement create urban islands, which limit air circulation and trap heat. This leads to a higher risk of extreme heat and other environmental hazards. Black people, for instance, are 40 percent more likely than non-Black people to live in areas with the highest projected increase in mortality rates due to extreme temperatures.

Not only are these specific neighborhoods at a higher risk of extreme heat or environmental hazards—but decades of underinvestment in Black neighborhoods results in a disproportionate number of Black residents living in older homes without air conditioning or proper insulation.

With such extreme temperatures, particularly in underserved communities, access to air conditioning is critical. However, this only drives up energy costs and further exacerbates cost and wealth disparities between homeowners of color and white homeowners. For many Black and brown families, keeping homes at unsafe temperatures is the only feasible option to maintain low energy costs.

Energy Insecurity and Health Equity 

Every five years, the Energy Information Administration administers a survey to assess five key indicators of energy insecurity. Estimates find that between one-quarter and one-third of U.S. households experience some form of energy insecurity; in 2020, more than 33 million households in the U.S. were energy insecure, and nearly 25 million reduced or went without food or medicine to pay for energy.

The average U.S. household spends 3.1 percent of its income on energy expenses—but for low-income households, this figure grows upward of 8.1 percent. For low-income families, this financial burden means far fewer financial resources for other basic needs, such as housing, food, clothing, or child care.

How Energy Insecurity Impacts Health Outcomes 

Several studies have unpacked the links between energy insecurity and adverse outcomes for mental health, respiratory health, sleep health, and child health. Children growing up in energy-insecure households experienced greater rates of food insecurity and hospitalization; other studies found that children experiencing dual food and energy hardships were more likely to exhibit withdrawn or depressed behaviors.

Energy insecurity can drive families to extreme measures, leading to heat and cold stress with fatal outcomes. As climate change continually drives up temperatures, extreme heat is disproportionately impacting marginalized communities. Between 2018 and 2021, Black people had a higher rate of heat-related deaths in comparison to white people.

Potential Solutions for Energy Insecurity 

Reparative climate policies aim to minimize the impact of climate change—all in unique ways that recognize just how intertwined they are with the history of racially discriminatory practices and policies. From a policy perspective, climate reparations typically focus on:

• Grant reparations and advance land reclamation
• Equity scoring on climate change policies before decision-making
• Enhance the wealth and financial security of low-income households
• Adopt a place-based approach
• Integrate health policy as a pillar of climate change policy

Many experts agree that while federal climate policy is a major step forward, it doesn’t adequately address questions of racial equity—and instead focuses on a one-size-fits-all approach. Elevating reparative climate policies will certainly have a cascading impact on energy insecurity, impacting Black and brown communities who are most at risk of energy insecurities.

Other opportunities to bolster existing legislation to alleviate energy insecurity challenges today include:

Energy bill assistance and home weatherization programs 

In early June 2024, the Biden administration announced a new Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program for residents of public housing. During periods of extreme heat, residents can now ask the federal government to pay air-conditioning bills.

While this program is optional, it authorizes public housing authorities to use federal funding to pay for residents’ energy costs—and could affect more than 1.6 million low-income residents of public housing. This measure is certainly a step in the right direction, but it doesn’t impact the many energy-insecure homeowners and renters in non-public housing.

Invest in neighborhood heat mitigation to reduce energy insecurity 

One of the simplest ways to combat heat is by planting trees. On average, communities of color have 33 percent less tree canopy than majority-white communities, and neighborhoods with more than 90 percent of their residents living in poverty have 41 percent less tree canopy compared to communities with 10 percent or less of the population in poverty.

To foster more tree coverage, efforts are being made at a local level. From urban forestry programs to community-centering programming, these practices will play an instrumental role in creating more tree coverage—and a cooling effect—on high-risk neighborhoods.

Prioritize access to energy alternatives 

While a complex task, prioritizing access to affordable energy alternatives—such as wind or solar—is one of the most sustainable, long-term investments.

Efforts like these include the Environmental Protection Agency’s “Solar for All” grant program, which selects 60 applicants to create new or expand existing low-income solar programs. These efforts will enable more than 900,000 households in low-income, disadvantaged communities to benefit from distributed solar energy.

To learn more about environmental racism or how you can leverage the New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) program to build affordable for-sale housing, reach out to us and join the conversation on social media.