Placeholder for climate justice resources/content.

Climate change is one of the largest public health challenges facing our nation and world, with global consequences but also localized health impacts. The Public Health Law Center has recently expanded its work to include the pursuit of healthy buildings, indoor air quality, and its intersection with climate change and climate justice. Our current climate justice work aims to make sure the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) keeps residents safe through a growing awareness of all causes of indoor air pollution, and connects Public Housing Agencies and those living in HUD-assisted housing to financial resources available for energy efficiency and climate change resilience.
Read our blog for more information on our climate justice work.
Riverside Plaza Minneapolis

Petition for Rulemaking to Electrify Public Housing

The 900,000 households living in federal public housing oftentime face conditions that pose health and safety risks, including indoor air pollution from fossil fuel appliances and other asthma triggers. The Public Health Law Center and 22 housing, public health, environmental justice, energy, and climate organizations filed a petition calling on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to reduce these health harms through electrification upgrades.

Read the Petition

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  • Multi-unit housing building

    Low & No-Cost Regulatory Proposals to Address Climate Change and Pollution in HUD-Assisted Homes

    The Public Health Law Center and a group of 20 health, housing and environmental advocates are calling for HUD to act without delay on more than a dozen no- and low-cost measures to improve housing conditions for residents.

    Go to Resource

  • Apartment Building

    PHLC & PCR Response to Chicago DOH's RFI on Residential Housing Decarbonization and Retrofits

    This resource is Public Health Law Center and People for Community and Recovery's (PCR) partnered response to the Chicago Department of Housing's (DOH) Request for Information (RFI) on Residential Housing Decarbonization and Retrofits, including prioritizing marginalized communities with a holistic approach in replacing fossil-fuel burning appliances, ensuring indoor air quality, and weatherization.

    Go to Resource

  • Cooking pot on a gas stove

    Why Are Gas Stoves Suddenly Controversial?

    Staff Attorney Dani Replogle explains why health concerns over gas stove use is frequently discussed in the news.

    Go to Commentary Post

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  • A electrical cord plugging into a toy wooden house

    The Time is Right for Equitable Electrification

    This resource explains how funding from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, and other national, state and local sources, can provide needed support to make widespread electrification more feasible and accessible.

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  • Public Housing Buildings in New York City

    PHLC NSPIRE Comments

    PHLC submitted a response to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Request for Comment on the National Standards for Physical Inspection of Real Estate ("NSPIRE"). These are the housing standards HUD proposed to replace the standards that currently apply to various HUD-assisted housing programs. This document previews some of the arguments and science underlying our petition to HUD and touch on gas stoves, A/C, mold, safe drinking water, and ventilation.

    Go to Comments

  • Child using a nebulizer

    PHLC Response to EPA's RFI on Bettering Indoor Air Quality

    This resource is PHLC’s response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Request for Information (RFI) on Bettering Indoor Air Quality, Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2022-0794, including a call for the agency to consider the issue holistically and prioritize programs to benefit low-income and marginalized communities.

    Go to Resource

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