It’s Getting Hot in Here: Researchers Examine Excessive Indoor Heat

Climate change is leading to record extreme temperatures worldwide. The year 2023 was the hottest year on record, while Southern states in January also experienced record-breaking extreme cold temperatures. Temperature extremes aren’t just a concern for outdoor enthusiasts; they are infiltrating indoor spaces, too, where we spend most of our time.

Recognizing the need to address indoor temperature vulnerability, a team of student and faculty researchers at Columbia Mailman has launched a project called HEATE (Heat Exposure And Temperature Equity) to assess indoor temperatures in Northern Manhattan and the South Bronx—areas known for extreme heat and air pollution, largely owing to historical exclusionary practices such as redlining. 

Members of the project have been installing heat sensors in 28 apartments to monitor temperature fluctuations and relative humidity. A survey will gather more data, including on residents’ health. The goal is to not only raise awareness about the issue but also lay the groundwork for informed policy interventions to safeguard the health and well-being of New Yorkers against the threat of extreme indoor temperatures. Inadequate heating and cooling indoors can aggravate respiratory issues, heightening the risks of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as well as short- to long-term mental health-related impacts, including anxiety, depression, and cognitive decline.

Lead investigator on the project, Robbie Parks, assistant professor of environmental health sciences, said that he and his colleague Yoshira Ornelas Van Horne came up with the idea for HEATE after talking with Heat Seek, a local organization focused on helping tenants resolve their home heating issues by providing the objective, reliable temperature data they need to expose the problem and hold their landlords accountable. 

Working in partnership with Heat Seek, Parks and Horne decided to focus on the warmer months of the summer, as climate change is leading to higher and more prolonged high temperatures that threaten health—particularly among the city’s most vulnerable groups.

“Indoor temperatures can mirror and magnify the extremes experienced outside, posing significant risks such as heat stress, illness, and even premature death. This threat is compounded for vulnerable communities who often lack access to air conditioning, the means to pay for the electricity, and reside in substandard housing,” says Parks.

“Particularly in cities that are older, where we have a lot of aging housing stock, like New York City, you can see the kinds of housing and health and safety complaints that tenants deal with, things like mold and pests,” adds Caleb Smith, resiliency coordinator for WE ACT for Environmental Justice, which is not involved in the HEATE study but has long advocated on behalf of local residents who lack access to sufficient heating and cooling in their apartments.“All of these things that contribute to respiratory health are also linked to cracks and gaps in the building envelope which make apartments harder to cool down.”

While New York City has regulations to maintain minimal residential temperatures in the winter, no such protections are in place to curb high temperatures within apartments, leaving residents vulnerable to sweltering conditions. The lack of air conditioning is no secret to residents and advocates, yet there is a lack of data to initiate change. HEATE aims to fill the data gap. Currently, researchers are evaluating data collected from indoor sensors, which will remain in place until next April.

“Our HEATE team hopes to provide data to further support the lived experiences that residents of these neighborhoods have long voiced as an important public health issue,” says Horne, assistant professor of environmental health sciences.