While the Santa Clarita Valley is bracing itself for another heat wave, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors put a legislative solution on its agenda for Tuesday.
By midweek, the temperatures are expected to hit 100 and then climb Thursday and Friday before a weekend “cool-off,” according to Bryan Lewis, meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
“I use ‘cool’ loosely because we’re still looking at mid- to upper-90s, basically through Monday,” Lewis said of the weekend, adding Thursday has the highest forecast at 102 degrees, but Friday also will be a “scorcher.”
Lewis said there are multiple factors that go into a heat warning, and cooler evening temperatures in the 60s might help avoid an alert.
For the unincorporated areas of the SCV, a new ordinance could eventually help make things a little bit cooler for some.
Under the health and mental health section of the agenda for Tuesday’s supervisors meeting is the proposed “Maximum Indoor Temperature Threshold for Rental Housing Units in the Unincorporated Areas of the County.”
The ordinance would require landlords to “ensure that rental housing units can maintain a temperature of 82 degrees Fahrenheit or below in every habitable room,” with an enforcement date of Jan. 1, 2027.
A statement from L.A. County 5th District Supervisor Kathryn Barger mentioned the potential health concerns but also the economic impact for landlords. She also offered another approach, which would be a “cooling room.”
“Our summers are getting hotter, and we must acknowledge the serious health risks extreme heat poses — especially for seniors and other vulnerable residents struggling to keep their homes livable. At the same time, I understand the real concerns of small, independent landlords who may face significant financial and structural challenges in complying with a blanket indoor temperature requirement across all habitable rooms,” she said in a statement Monday shared via email by Helen Chavez, her director of communications. “A more measured approach — like focusing on cooling one primary room — should be considered to balance public health goals with practical, achievable outcomes. Moving forward, we must ensure the ordinance is both equitable and workable, with realistic expectations, coordination with utility companies, and a focus on solutions that don’t unintentionally destabilize our limited housing stock.”
The county’s Department of Public Health created a temperature threshold of 82 degrees in response to years of discussion by a working group, according to a source familiar with the process who spoke on background.
County Public Health released a report in March 2023 called “Investigating Safe Maximum Indoor Temperature Thresholds to Assist Heat Vulnerable Tenants and Workers in High-Risk Workplaces,” which first looked at the need for a standard that could address “health and safety risks, heat-related illnesses and worsened chronic illnesses,” according to the county’s agenda.
Dr. David Eiserman, who developed UCLA Heat Maps and has studied heat-related vulnerability, urged the county to adopt the ordinance in a support letter, as heat illness “disproportionately harms our most vulnerable residents: older adults, individuals with chronic illnesses, young children, and low-income renters in buildings without adequate cooling.”
The city of West Hollywood, which states the city has looked at the issue since 2020, said the ordinance requires landlords to allow tenants to install portable units in their apartments.
The city supported the notion, but also said its study of the topic found a few challenges: existing buildings were designed and constructed under standards that did not consider energy-conservation designs; inadequate power supply exists in many buildings to support such a call; a potential violation of the property owner’s constitutional rights; and the economic feasibility of mandating AC units.
One of the facets the ordinance mentions is that landlords are not allowed to charge tenants for the cost of compliance, according to the county source who spoke on background.
The ordinance would create positions for inspectors who would provide information to tenants and landlords but ultimately be responsible for enforcement, too.
“While the fee package is still in development and may be subject to change, it is anticipated that new work pursuant to this ordinance will require an estimated $7.77 fee increase per covered unit,” according to the county’s agenda.
