An ordinance which would close a decade-old loophole for Houston landlords regarding air conditioning got stuck in committee due to a lack of a quorum to move the item to the Houston City Council agenda on July 28.
The committee lost a quorum after nearly an hour of testimony in favor of the Right to Air Conditioning ordinance, which would no longer allow window screens to be the sole method of cooling in rental housing.
What residents need to know
During the July 28 Prop A committee meeting, Houston City Council member Alejandra Salinas said her proposal was aimed at ensuring a basic quality of life for renters in lower-income areas where rental properties may not have central cooling or window units.
“All we are simply trying to do is ensure that all Houstonians, even the least among us, have access to a basic health and safety requirement,” Salinas said.
Houston is one of the only major Texas cities with an exemption to air conditioning requirements, allowing landlords to classify window screens as a method of cooling. Under the new ordinance, landlords will be required to provide a method to cool internal spaces to at least 80 degrees through one of the following methods:
- Central air system
- Window units
- Portable ACs
- Other refrigerated air equipment
The ordinance would not be retroactive, meaning landlords would not be required to retrofit rental properties with AC until the property was sold or a major modification was made, which would require bringing the property up to code.
Some context
As previously reported by Community Impact, between 2019 and 2023 Harris County Public Health reported more than 7,600 cases of heat-related illness and found that indoor areas without air conditioning significantly increased the risk of such illnesses, per the release.
Houston Health Department data also shows that heat waves have driven sharp increases in 911 calls and hospitalizations, and at least 279 people died due to heat in Texas in 2022, with many of the cases being people who were homeless or living without air conditioning.
“Houston is getting hotter because of climate change, Houston is getting hotter because of the way we are developing the city, because there are less trees and more concrete, and so while it may have been possible for some people 50 years ago not to have AC, that is not the Houston we live in today,” Salinas said.
Representatives from multiple organizations voiced their support of the ordinance, citing rising temperatures and safety concerns for residents.
“Unfortunately, for many Houstonians, home is not safe and a cool reprieve as it is for you and me,” Susana Duran, Houston organizing manager for the Workers Defense Action Fund, said during the meeting. “During the mild summer that we're having right now, we've already reached 102 degrees. This isn't just a public health issue for Houstonians.
It's about dignity.”
What’s next?
Salinas said she would bring the ordinance back to the Prop A committee at the next meeting, which is scheduled for Aug. 25 at 2 p.m. in Houston City Council chambers and will be livestreamed for the public.
The proposed ordinance must be sponsored by at least three other members of the committee before being placed on the regular Houston City Council agenda for formal consideration and adoption.
