Background/Objectives

Residential energy efficiency is a potential component of individual and community resilience during extreme temperature events, especially extreme heat. Historic and lower-quality homes are often less energy efficient, taking longer to heat up or cool down during extreme temperature events due to gaps in building envelopes. More intensive energy use to withstand these events may contribute to energy burden, especially for those already disproportionately exposed to extreme temperatures. In the 1930s, the Homeowners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) developed mortgage lending maps of over 200 U.S. cities, grading neighborhoods based on the perceived lending risk associated with demographics. Over several decades, redlined neighborhoods primarily occupied by low-income and non-white residents received less investment than non-redlined neighborhoods. In this study, we explore how historical redlining has left a legacy of disinvestment in housing, which may contribute to inequities in residential energy efficiency compared to non-redlined neighborhoods.

Approach/Activities

Using the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s ResStock Analysis Tool and geospatial analysis, we model efficiency upgrades under extreme temperature and power outage scenarios. We then compare housing stock performance in redlined and non-redlined neighborhoods in four case study cities: Durham, NC, Tampa, FL, Chicago, IL, and Seattle, WA. Cities were selected based on geographic and climate zone variability, demographics, historic redlining, and vulnerability to power outages and extreme temperature events. Spatial data for residential buildings were acquired from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ National Structure Inventory, and HOLC redlining data were acquired from the University of Richmond’s Mapping Inequality project.

Results/Lessons Learned

We aim to identify areas with the greatest need for efficiency upgrades, which may help inform building retrofit investments. Overall, this analysis will provide insight into potential inequities underlying residential energy efficiency associated with redlining. Layered with other consequences of neighborhood disinvestment, such as urban heat island effects, these inequities can threaten human health, energy affordability, and overall resilience during extreme temperature events.