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A 2026 analysis in Public Policy & Aging Report argues that heat policies often fail to address the financial, physical and housing barriers older adults face. The authors call for region-specific measures, including stronger rental protections, indoor cooling standards and better access to utility assistance and cooling centers.
A new policy analysis says public protections have not kept pace with extreme heat and often overlook the barriers that make it difficult for older adults to stay cool, including utility bills, housing conditions and mobility limits. Published in Public Policy & Aging Report, the analysis calls for region-specific policies that address more than access to air conditioning.
The article, “On the Regional Spectrum of Barriers and Obstacles for Older Adults Facing Extreme Heat: Air Conditioning and Beyond,” examines why having a cooling system does not necessarily mean a person can use it effectively. Older adults may struggle to pay electricity bills, maintain or repair equipment, or install window units. Mobility limitations and cognitive decline can also make it harder to respond to dangerous indoor temperatures.
The authors describe health vulnerabilities associated with aging, including reduced ability to regulate body temperature. They say chronic conditions such as diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases, along with some commonly prescribed medications, can add to heat-related risks. The analysis cites links between heat exposure and cardiovascular and respiratory problems, sleep disruption, cognitive impairment, reduced attention and mental health concerns.
Lead author Peter Crank, an assistant professor at the University of Waterloo, points to the need for clearer standards for indoor cooling. In the Southwest, some Arizona rental laws require air-conditioning systems to work and be capable of cooling a home to 20 degrees Fahrenheit below the outdoor temperature. The paper notes that Phoenix had 70 days at or above 110°F in 2024; under that temperature, a home meeting the stated standard could still exceed 90°F indoors.
Cooling Access Is More Than Equipment
The analysis matters because it challenges the assumption that installing air conditioning alone protects people during heat waves. A system offers limited protection if residents cannot afford to run it, cannot get it repaired, or live in a home that remains dangerously hot despite cooling. The authors argue that affordability, housing quality and equipment performance are part of heat safety, not separate concerns.
Public responses such as cooling centers may also be difficult to use. The researchers identify transport problems, mobility limits, restricted hours—including overnight and weekends—safety concerns and lack of awareness as possible barriers. That means a service can exist without being realistically accessible to the people it is intended to help.
For older readers and their families, the article highlights practical gaps between a heat warning and the ability to act on it. For policymakers, its central point is that protections need to account for the costs and logistics of staying cool, as well as the temperatures inside homes.
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Different Regions, Different Heat Risks
The authors compare conditions in the desert Southwest with those in historically colder parts of the Northeast. In places such as Phoenix, air conditioning is often essential, but high outdoor temperatures can test the capacity of cooling systems and the protections set by local housing rules. The analysis says performance standards and affordability are especially important where heat is already severe.
In cities such as Boston, the challenge includes older buildings designed to retain warmth during winter. The researchers say many lack central air conditioning and can hold heat during prolonged hot spells. They also report that indoor maximum-temperature standards are largely absent and that energy assistance programs in much of the Northeast continue to focus mainly on winter heating, despite rising summer heat risks.
The paper does not treat one regional model as suitable everywhere. Its argument is that climate, building stock, infrastructure and available resources vary, so policy needs to reflect local conditions while protecting older residents from unsafe indoor temperatures.
“Air conditioning only protects people if they can afford to run it, maintain it and use it safely.”
— Amir Baniassadi, assistant scientist II at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife and a co-author
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What the Analysis Does Not Measure
The source material describes a policy analysis, not a new estimate of how many older adults are affected or a measurement of how much a particular intervention reduces illness or deaths. The material provided does not specify the analysis’s methods, the number of studies or regions reviewed, or how the authors assessed the effectiveness and cost of each proposed policy.
The examples from Arizona and Boston illustrate different concerns, but they do not establish that every home in either area faces the same conditions. The report also does not give a national count of older adults without adequate cooling, or quantify how many cooling-center users are deterred by transport, access or opening hours. Those details remain unclear from the source material.
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Policy Changes Still to Come
The authors recommend stronger renter protections, indoor temperature standards, expanded utility assistance and support to maintain or replace cooling systems. They also call for cooling centers that are more accessible to older adults, including attention to transport, operating hours and awareness of available services.
The analysis does not identify a specific government decision, implementation schedule or funding commitment tied to those recommendations. The next steps depend on policymakers and local agencies deciding whether to adopt measures suited to their housing, climate and infrastructure. Until then, the scale of any policy response—and whether it will provide older residents with reliably safe indoor temperatures—remains undetermined.
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Key Questions
What is the new analysis about?
It examines policy and practical barriers that can prevent older adults from staying safe during extreme heat, including cooling costs, housing conditions, equipment upkeep and access to cooling centers.
Why may older adults face greater heat risks?
The article says aging can reduce the body’s ability to regulate temperature. It also notes that some chronic conditions and medications can increase heat-related risks. These are general findings described by the analysis, not an assessment of any individual’s health.
Does having air conditioning guarantee a safe home?
No. The authors argue that a system may not provide effective protection if residents cannot afford to operate or repair it, cannot use it safely, or live in a home that remains too hot.
What policies do the authors recommend?
Recommendations include indoor temperature standards, stronger renter protections, utility assistance, help maintaining or replacing cooling systems, and more accessible cooling centers.
What remains unknown?
The source does not quantify the national number of older adults affected or the expected impact and cost of each recommendation. It also gives no timeline or confirmed commitment to put the proposed measures into effect.
Source: rss
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