The Public Health Law Center’s Climate Justice Team works to support community-led efforts that improve the living environments of under-resourced communities who disproportionately bear the effects of climate change. We are dedicated to maintaining a deep knowledge of climate policies and legal strategies that promote health equity and the equitable distribution of the resources everyone needs to thrive. Please reach out to us at: climatejustice@mitchellhamline.edu.
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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.
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Public Health Requires Rethinking Gas Stoves
Staff Attorney Esther Agbaje discusses proposed policies regarding gas stoves.
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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.
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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.
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Why Are Gas Stoves Suddenly Controversial?
Staff Attorney Dani Replogle explains why health concerns over gas stove use is frequently discussed in the news.
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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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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.
Partner Resources
- Brady Anne Seals and Andee Krasner - Health Effects from Gas Stove Pollution
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City of Berkeley, California - Existing Buildings Electrification Strategy
- Climate Council - Kicking the Gas Habit: How Gas is Harming our Health Report
- Green and Healthy Homes Initiative - Leading with Equity and Justice in the Clean Energy Transition: Getting to the Starting Line for Residential Building Electrification
- Greenlining and Energy Efficiency for All - Equitable Building Electrification: A Framework for Powering Resilient Communities
- Rocky Mountain Institute - Breaking Down the Inflation Reduction Act Spreadsheet
- Rocky Mountain Institute - Investing in Healthier Low-Income Housing
- Rocky Mountain Institute - Improving Health in Low-Income Communities through Beneficial Electrification Report
- WEACT for Environmental Justice - Out of Gas, In with Justice