Councilmember Price seconded a motion that calls for greater access to cooling apparatuses like air conditioners. Scientists predict that this summer’s heat wave is a response to a worsening “heat dome” that has no intention of slowing down in upcoming years. Residents of low-income neighborhoods are most vulnerable to rising temperatures. Currently, South LA, the Harbor area, and the Northeast San Fernando Valley show much higher emergency room visits during heat waves than the rest of the city. As climate change transforms Southern California, cooling devices will go from being an amenity, to a necessity. This motion instructs the Housing Department to report back on options to amend the current code to require sufficient cooling apparatuses in residential rental units in Los Angeles with a focus on marginalized communities. To read the motion, click here.