HUD aims to help protect communities from extreme heat

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Wednesday announced new initiatives to bolster community protections against severe heat, an issue that has become more common nationwide.

“For the first time in its history, 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,” the department said.

HUD also shared two new technical assistance products. These include an “extreme heat quick guide” designed to “help communities plan for extreme heat and identify mitigation strategies,” and a dedicated webinar on the topic of extreme heat and cold. HUD will also hold a specialized stakeholder briefing about extreme heat on May 23.

“Extreme heat affects all of us. Historically underserved communities are even more vulnerable,” Adrianne Todman, HUD acting secretary, said in a statement. “At HUD, our priority is to increase awareness about the dangers of extreme heat and support local and state leaders as we all respond to this climate hazard.”

More than 20 federal agencies are partnering on a shared 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,” the department said.

Extreme heat wrought by climate change has started to have a more pronounced impact on the housing market. Last summer, data from Redfin indicated that U.S. counties most prone to flooding saw 384,000 more people move into them than out of them over the past two years, a 103% increase during that time.

Similar trends are being observed in areas prone to wildfires and excessive heat as home prices have remained generally elevated well after the pandemic-driven homebuyer boom.

There are other impacts stemming from climate risk, particularly on home insurance, as noted this week by Redfin chief economist Daryl Fairweather at The Gathering by HousingWire.

“For a long time, I would talk about a changing climate and people would say ‘That’s a problem for the future,’” Fairweather said. “But now, we’re seeing insurance costs going up and people are deciding where to live based on the climate. It’s becoming a more and more important issue in the housing market.”