LA County Board

4. Establishing a Safe Maximum Temperature Threshold for Residential Units\nRecommendation as submitted by Supervisors Solis and Horvath: Instruct the\nDirector of Public Health, in collaboration with the Chief Sustainability Officer\nand the Director of Consumer and Business Affairs, to conduct stakeholder\nengagement, including to renters, landlords, public health professionals, and\nother relevant community-based organizations and groups, regarding a\nmaximum indoor temperature for rental dwellings in the County, and report back\nto the Board in writing within 120 days with recommendations for how to\nequitably establish, define, implement, and enforce relevant policy for rental\nunits; and take the following actions:\nInstruct County Counsel, in consultation with the Directors of Public\nHealth, Public Works, Regional Planning, Economic Opportunity and\nConsumer and Business Affairs, the Chief Sustainability Officer, and\nother applicable Departments, and based on stakeholder engagement, to\nprepare and report back to the Board in writing within 180 days with a\ndraft ordinance establishing a safe maximum indoor temperature for\nrental dwellings in the County; with the ordinance to do the following:\nEstablish a single maximum indoor temperature threshold for\ndwellings and a right for tenants to safely and responsibly cool\ntheir dwellings;\nRequire that all rental housing be “cooling ready” so that there is a\ncode-compliant and safe way for a tenant to add air conditioning\nshould they desire;\nCenter health concerns regarding extreme heat by utilizing the\nHealth and Safety Code, where possible;\nUse a phased implementation approach, such that, recently\nconstructed dwellings and those constructed or undergoing\nsubstantial remodeling after the ordinance’s implementation are\nimmediately subject to the maximum indoor heat temperature\nthreshold, and existing buildings not subject to the above, are\ngranted extended time to comply with the maximum indoor heat\ntemperature threshold, with additional consideration based on the\nage of the building, the number of units owned by the landlord,\nand the landlord’s financial ability to comply;\nInclude anti-displacement provisions to prevent landlords from\npassing the cost of complying with the ordinance on to tenants in\nthe form of additional fees, rent, or other charges, to the extent\npossible;\nUpdate tenant protections to ensure that cooling practices are not\nconsidered cause for eviction; and\nInclude a plan to incentivize landlords to timely adopt cooling\nmeasures that achieve safe indoor temperature thresholds;\nDirect the Chief Executive Officer, with the assistance of the Chief\nSustainability Officer and the Director of Internal Services, to identify\nand report back to the Board in writing within 120 days on potential\nfunding streams and facilitate access to existing Federal and State\nresources to implement this ordinance, including resources to provide\ntechnical and financial assistance to small landlords, low-income tenants,\nand those who would be unduly burdened by a retrofit requirement, with\ntechnical assistance to include, but not limited to, assessing the\ndwelling’s needs and installing electric air conditioning units or\nweatherization to meet the ordinance requirements; and\nInstruct the Director of Public Health, in collaboration with the Director of\nHealth Services, to report back to the Board in writing within 120 days\nand explore opportunities for health plans to cover active and passive\ncooling as a covered benefit for high-risk beneficiaries. (24-0231)