"Summers in New York City are difficult for Anthony Gay and his family. A small, portable air conditioner in his bedroom is the only relief they have from soaring temperatures in their Brooklyn rental.
"The rest of the apartment is literally unbearable to walk through," said Gay, 40, whose asthmatic son struggles to breathe in the heat.
Heat can be a killer. An estimated 350 New Yorkers die prematurely each year because of extreme heat, according to the city's 2024 Heat-Related Mortality Report. Lack of access to air conditioning at home is the most important risk factor in such deaths, it said.
Yet, across the United States, about 12 percent of homes – or about 12.7 million households – had no access to air conditioning in 2020, according to the most recent government data. Many more had some air conditioning, like Gay, but not enough to beat the heat.
Most often, homes with little or no air conditioning are occupied by low-income residents – often renters — and people of color, a 2022 Boston University analysis of 115 U.S. metro areas found."
Gloria Dickie reports for Reuters August 5, 2024.
SEE ALSO:
"Extreme Heat Is Making Schools Hotter — And Learning Harder" (The 19th)
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