WASHINGTON - Last week, Americans from coast to coast faced the effects of extreme heat, with record-high temperatures posing a detrimental impact to businesses, homes, and entire communities. The Biden-Harris Administration and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have already taken historic actions to protect families from these dangerous effects of the climate crisis.

“In recent days, we have seen just how dangerous extreme heat is to the fabric of American communities – particularly our most vulnerable residents,” said HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman. “HUD is assisting our partners on the ground to ensure that we protect the households we serve from the effects of extreme heat and keep families cool this summer.”

On June 13, HUD’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing Richard Monocchio traveled to Tucson, Arizona to announce HUD’s new guidance to Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) to reduce the threat of extreme heat for residents. This guidance provides families with relief during severe or extreme heat periods, helping them afford to cool their homes. These new options allow PHAs to increase utility allowances for residents or forgo surcharges for the use of cooling, so that residents can use air conditioning during periods of severe or extreme heat. This guidance not only safeguards the safety and health of families but lowers home energy costs for residents in public housing by making it easier to request relief for excess utility expenses.

This guidance provides PHAs with additional examples of cooling strategies to consider outside of providing air-conditioning. While HUD defines extreme heat as a period of high heat and humidity with temperatures above 90 degrees for a minimum of two to three days, this guidance allows for even more local control by allowing PHAs to define severe or extreme heat more broadly to support families in their communities.

In April, as a part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Earth Week initiatives, HUD published a webpage on Extreme Heat that serves as a hub highlighting actions communities can take to prepare and respond to extreme heat events and available resources to help fund climate resilience projects. HUD also shared two new technical assistance products: an Extreme Heat Quick Guide, to help communities plan for extreme heat and identify mitigation strategies, and a webinar on Extreme Heat and Cold, focused on community resilience. In addition, HUD held a stakeholder briefing to inform partners on resources to mitigate extreme heat on May 23, 2024.

In addition, HUD is partnering with over 20 Federal agencies to participate in the National Integrated Heat Health Information System to build awareness about the dangers of extreme heat and develop solutions to reduce the negative impacts of extreme heat on communities throughout the country. HUD also joined the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to announce a plan to map urban heat islands across 14 American communities.

These announcements are not the conclusion – every day, the Biden-Harris Administration and HUD work on new resources and opportunities to protect communities from extreme heat. For additional resources on extreme heat and to learn more about preparedness and response and available resources for climate resilience funding, visit HUD’s Extreme Heat webpage and the collection of resources at HUDExchange.