Latest news with #ACORNCanada
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Young and Barnes: A new city bylaw would help prevent heat-related deaths
In the context of rapidly worsening climate change, cities such as Ottawa are on the front lines of the race to protect residents from the threat of summer heatwaves. According to the City of Ottawa's draft Climate Resiliency Strategy, more than one in three residents lack the means to stay cool as temperatures climb during the summer months. They face increased health-related risks. Just as landlords are required by law to ensure indoor temperatures stay above a minimum in the winter, Ottawa — and other Ontario cities — need to urgently pass bylaws setting a maximum indoor temperature. Statistics Canada estimates that around 36 per cent — nearly 150,000 — of Ottawa households are renters. Many have no power to control the temperature in their units. While Ottawa-specific data is scarce, a national survey from ACORN Canada found that 44 per cent of respondents had no access to air conditioning. When other factors are considered, such as old and inefficient building stock, poverty and the rising cost of living, it is no surprise that cooling is out of reach for too many. Let's be clear: When it comes to extreme heat, the risks are here and worsening. The federal government states that 'extreme heat is the leading cause of illness and death from weather-related hazards in Canada.' A recent federal study shows higher-than-average risk of death during stretches of extreme heat in Canada's largest cities over the past 20 years. Risks were particularly high for people aged 65 or older. Extreme heat doesn't just kill; it worsens heart conditions, triggers mental-health crises and heightens the risk of accidents. This reduces quality of life, diminishes economic productivity and adds to the burden on overstretched health systems. We would never accept an apartment without heat in winter. So why do we tolerate deadly indoor heat in the summer? While the reasons behind the detrimental effects of extreme heat are layered and complex, there is a simple logic at its foundation: As a society, we continue to treat cooling as a luxury, rather than the necessity it has become in the face of rapidly accelerating climate change. Effective solutions are within reach. Ontario cities such as Toronto, Mississauga and Kingston are at the forefront of debates around the adoption of maximum indoor temperature bylaws. These enforce a legal upper bound to indoor temperatures, usually around 26 degrees Celsius. While the bylaw debate proceeds, some cities are rolling out stopgap measures, where air conditioning is provided in specific cases. Ottawa needs to join the movement in favour of strong maximum temperature bylaws. In the meantime, more needs to be done to get the word out on existing programs to access cooling devices through the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), Ontario Works (OW) and Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities (ACSD), which are available from June 1 to Sept. 15. In short, Ontario physicians or nurse practitioners can write a prescription for a cooling device, allowing eligible tenants to access funds for air-conditioning units. Heat waves have become an inescapable fact of life in a rapidly warming world, but smart policy choices can make a difference now. Every summer we delay costs lives. It's time for Ottawa to treat cooling like the right it has become, and enact measures to close the gap for so many in our city. Now is the time to take the peril out of summer, for everyday residents and for those most vulnerable, living on the front lines of climate change. Dr. Lorin Young (MD, MSc, FRCPC) is a general psychiatrist. Robb Barnes is climate program director for Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE). Our bodies may not be as resilient to heat as we thought, uOttawa study shows Why Ottawa's heat and humidity is more dangerous than it seems
Ottawa Citizen
2 days ago
- Health
- Ottawa Citizen
Young and Barnes: A new city bylaw would help prevent heat-related deaths
Article content In the context of rapidly worsening climate change, cities such as Ottawa are on the front lines of the race to protect residents from the threat of summer heatwaves. According to the City of Ottawa's draft Climate Resiliency Strategy, more than one in three residents lack the means to stay cool as temperatures climb during the summer months. They face increased health-related risks. Article content Article content Just as landlords are required by law to ensure indoor temperatures stay above a minimum in the winter, Ottawa — and other Ontario cities — need to urgently pass bylaws setting a maximum indoor temperature. Article content Article content Statistics Canada estimates that around 36 per cent — nearly 150,000 — of Ottawa households are renters. Many have no power to control the temperature in their units. While Ottawa-specific data is scarce, a national survey from ACORN Canada found that 44 per cent of respondents had no access to air conditioning. When other factors are considered, such as old and inefficient building stock, poverty and the rising cost of living, it is no surprise that cooling is out of reach for too many. Article content Heat risks are worsening Article content Let's be clear: When it comes to extreme heat, the risks are here and worsening. The federal government states that 'extreme heat is the leading cause of illness and death from weather-related hazards in Canada.' A recent federal study shows higher-than-average risk of death during stretches of extreme heat in Canada's largest cities over the past 20 years. Risks were particularly high for people aged 65 or older. Article content Article content Extreme heat doesn't just kill; it worsens heart conditions, triggers mental-health crises and heightens the risk of accidents. This reduces quality of life, diminishes economic productivity and adds to the burden on overstretched health systems. Article content Article content We would never accept an apartment without heat in winter. So why do we tolerate deadly indoor heat in the summer? While the reasons behind the detrimental effects of extreme heat are layered and complex, there is a simple logic at its foundation: As a society, we continue to treat cooling as a luxury, rather than the necessity it has become in the face of rapidly accelerating climate change. Article content Effective solutions are within reach. Ontario cities such as Toronto, Mississauga and Kingston are at the forefront of debates around the adoption of maximum indoor temperature bylaws. These enforce a legal upper bound to indoor temperatures, usually around 26 degrees Celsius. While the bylaw debate proceeds, some cities are rolling out stopgap measures, where air conditioning is provided in specific cases.
Hamilton Spectator
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Tenant group pushes for climate protections in report highlighting extreme heat risks
A Canadian tenant advocacy group says nearly half the renters they surveyed don't have air conditioning, as they press for protections from climate-fuelled extreme heat. A report released by ACORN Canada says affordability was cited as the main barrier to access among the 44 per cent of surveyed tenants who don't have air conditioning. The group says it collected more than 700 responses to the online survey, which was sent to its database of members and tenant contacts. Climate change, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, has cranked up temperatures across Canada and increased the likelihood of dangerous heat waves. The report says just over half of respondents, mostly low- and middle-income renters, identified excessive summer heat as a top maintenance issue for their unit. ACORN Canada has been pushing cities to bring in bylaws that would require landlords to keep their units below a maximum temperature threshold, similar to how they have to keep it heated when it's cold. 'As governments and other actors intensify their efforts to combat climate change, it is critical that tenants have a seat at the table so that tenants' needs and concerns are accounted for and housing strategies include tenant protections so as to not further worsen the housing situation,' said the report, released Wednesday. Toronto is among the cities exploring a maximum temperature bylaw. Council directed staff to report back with possible next steps later this year. The number of days exceeding 30 degrees in Toronto could more than triple by mid-century, from about 20 days to 66 days, according to a staff report prepared for council. Landlord groups have argued a maximum temperature bylaw would prompt building owners to pass on air conditioning costs to tenants through rent increases, which would create additional backlogs at provincial tribunals. Tenant groups argue any maximum temperature bylaws should also be paired with government supports to ensure tenants are not saddled with additional costs. Wednesday's report calls on the federal government to implement a national energy poverty program, modelled after the Ontario Energy Support Program. The monthly benefit program is intended to help low-income tenants cover utility costs and some advocates have suggested it could be topped up in the summer to help cover the costs of running an air conditioner. The ACORN report says federal efforts to decarbonize Canada's homes and buildings have often overlooked tenants who tend to live in older and energy inefficient buildings. About a third of surveyed tenants said they received a rent increase notice when their landlord carried out energy efficiency upgrades, the report said. The report said retrofit incentives backed by the federal government should only be provided if landlords sign anti-evictions agreements and demonstrate how they would benefit the tenant. The government has faced questions about whether public financing has been used by corporate landlords to justify rent hikes and extra utility costs. In response, the previous federal government said any building upgrades financed by the Canadian Infrastructure Bank would, going forward, not be used as a rationale to increase rent. It also said the bank's future loan agreements for multi-unit residential building retrofits would include provisions that limit a borrower's ability to hike rents or impose additional utility costs on existing tenants. The housing minister's office did not immediately respond to questions Wednesday about the report. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 28, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Tenant group pushes for climate protections in report highlighting extreme heat risks
A Canadian tenant advocacy group says nearly half the renters they surveyed don't have air conditioning, as they press for protections from climate-fuelled extreme heat. A report released by ACORN Canada says affordability was cited as the main barrier to access among the 44 per cent of surveyed tenants who don't have air conditioning. The group says it collected more than 700 responses to the online survey, which was sent to its database of members and tenant contacts. Climate change, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, has cranked up temperatures across Canada and increased the likelihood of dangerous heat waves. The report says just over half of respondents, mostly low- and middle-income renters, identified excessive summer heat as a top maintenance issue for their unit. ACORN Canada has been pushing cities to bring in bylaws that would require landlords to keep their units below a maximum temperature threshold, similar to how they have to keep it heated when it's cold. 'As governments and other actors intensify their efforts to combat climate change, it is critical that tenants have a seat at the table so that tenants' needs and concerns are accounted for and housing strategies include tenant protections so as to not further worsen the housing situation,' said the report, released Wednesday. Toronto is among the cities exploring a maximum temperature bylaw. Council directed staff to report back with possible next steps later this year. The number of days exceeding 30 degrees in Toronto could more than triple by mid-century, from about 20 days to 66 days, according to a staff report prepared for council. Landlord groups have argued a maximum temperature bylaw would prompt building owners to pass on air conditioning costs to tenants through rent increases, which would create additional backlogs at provincial tribunals. Tenant groups argue any maximum temperature bylaws should also be paired with government supports to ensure tenants are not saddled with additional costs. Wednesday's report calls on the federal government to implement a national energy poverty program, modelled after the Ontario Energy Support Program. The monthly benefit program is intended to help low-income tenants cover utility costs and some advocates have suggested it could be topped up in the summer to help cover the costs of running an air conditioner. The ACORN report says federal efforts to decarbonize Canada's homes and buildings have often overlooked tenants who tend to live in older and energy inefficient buildings. About a third of surveyed tenants said they received a rent increase notice when their landlord carried out energy efficiency upgrades, the report said. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. The report said retrofit incentives backed by the federal government should only be provided if landlords sign anti-evictions agreements and demonstrate how they would benefit the tenant. The government has faced questions about whether public financing has been used by corporate landlords to justify rent hikes and extra utility costs. In response, the previous federal government said any building upgrades financed by the Canadian Infrastructure Bank would, going forward, not be used as a rationale to increase rent. It also said the bank's future loan agreements for multi-unit residential building retrofits would include provisions that limit a borrower's ability to hike rents or impose additional utility costs on existing tenants. The housing minister's office did not immediately respond to questions Wednesday about the report. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 28, 2025.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tenant group pushes for climate protections in report highlighting extreme heat risks
A Canadian tenant advocacy group says nearly half the renters they surveyed don't have air conditioning, as they press for protections from climate-fuelled extreme heat. A report released by ACORN Canada says affordability was cited as the main barrier to access among the 44 per cent of surveyed tenants who don't have air conditioning. The group says it collected more than 700 responses to the online survey, which was sent to its database of members and tenant contacts. Climate change, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, has cranked up temperatures across Canada and increased the likelihood of dangerous heat waves. The report says just over half of respondents, mostly low- and middle-income renters, identified excessive summer heat as a top maintenance issue for their unit. ACORN Canada has been pushing cities to bring in bylaws that would require landlords to keep their units below a maximum temperature threshold, similar to how they have to keep it heated when it's cold. "As governments and other actors intensify their efforts to combat climate change, it is critical that tenants have a seat at the table so that tenants' needs and concerns are accounted for and housing strategies include tenant protections so as to not further worsen the housing situation," said the report, released Wednesday. Toronto is among the cities exploring a maximum temperature bylaw. Council directed staff to report back with possible next steps later this year. The number of days exceeding 30 degrees in Toronto could more than triple by mid-century, from about 20 days to 66 days, according to a staff report prepared for council. Landlord groups have argued a maximum temperature bylaw would prompt building owners to pass on air conditioning costs to tenants through rent increases, which would create additional backlogs at provincial tribunals. Tenant groups argue any maximum temperature bylaws should also be paired with government supports to ensure tenants are not saddled with additional costs. Wednesday's report calls on the federal government to implement a national energy poverty program, modelled after the Ontario Energy Support Program. The monthly benefit program is intended to help low-income tenants cover utility costs and some advocates have suggested it could be topped up in the summer to help cover the costs of running an air conditioner. The ACORN report says federal efforts to decarbonize Canada's homes and buildings have often overlooked tenants who tend to live in older and energy inefficient buildings. About a third of surveyed tenants said they received a rent increase notice when their landlord carried out energy efficiency upgrades, the report said. The report said retrofit incentives backed by the federal government should only be provided if landlords sign anti-evictions agreements and demonstrate how they would benefit the tenant. The government has faced questions about whether public financing has been used by corporate landlords to justify rent hikes and extra utility costs. In response, the previous federal government said any building upgrades financed by the Canadian Infrastructure Bank would, going forward, not be used as a rationale to increase rent. It also said the bank's future loan agreements for multi-unit residential building retrofits would include provisions that limit a borrower's ability to hike rents or impose additional utility costs on existing tenants. The housing minister's office did not immediately respond to questions Wednesday about the report. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 28, 2025. Jordan Omstead, The Canadian Press Sign in to access your portfolio
