As Oregon summers get hotter and heat-related deaths occur more frequently, legislators are considering a bill that would provide cooling for a specific demographic that usually has limited options when seeking relief in their homes — renters in multi-unit housing.
Senate Bill 54 would require property owners of 10 or more multi-family units to provide tenants with indoor cooling in at least one room. The rules would kick in when outdoor temperatures reach 80 degrees Fahrenheit for more. By 2036, all bedrooms in these apartments would require cooling devices.
“Oregon already has statewide heating standards for rental units,” Sen. Kayse Jama, D-Damascus, said during testimony. “As heat waves become the norm, we must provide the same protection against the heat-related deaths and sickness.”
FILE: An air conditioning unit sits in the window of an apartment building in Portland's Central Eastside, July 9, 2024. Oregon lawmakers are considering a proposal to require cooling devices is many apartment buildings.
Anna Lueck / OPB
Under SB 54, property owners must ensure tenants have either central air conditioning, a heat pump, or a portable cooling device in at least one room on hot days. The goal is to provide a safe cool space for tenants during extreme heat.
Property owners could also provide a community cooling space.
The bill would also require the landlord for any dwelling in which construction permits are issued on or after Jan. 1, 2026, to provide cooling in at least one room in the unit, not including the bathroom.
As Oregon has faced hotter summers in recent years, data shows temperatures have increased by 3 degrees during the summer. Overnight temperatures have also increased, limiting access to relief the human body needs to cool down after a full day of high temperatures.
In 2021, an extreme heat wave was so severe it shattered previous high-temperature records, with some areas across the state reaching as high as 118 F. Nearly 100 people died from heat-related causes across the state, and officials have said that number may be an undercount. In the aftermath of those deaths, lawmakers began to introduce new laws to boost access to in-home cooling devices like air conditioning units and heat pumps.
Temperatures have continued to reach new highs since then. Last year, 17 people died during a July heat wave. Many of the people who died from the 2021 and 2024 extreme weather events had little to no relief from the heat, many lacking a cooling device at home. Many were also older and living alone.
During an informational hearing for SB 54, State Resilience Officer Jonna Papaefthimiou said last summer was the first time Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek issued an executive order declaring a statewide emergency due to excessive heat.
“It wasn’t the first time that Oregon experienced life-threatening hot weather, but it was the first time the governor of Oregon had to issue an emergency declaration for high temperatures,” she said. “That action reflected not only our new climate reality of longer, hotter summers, but also a growing realization that heat is a life-threatening hazard for Oregonians.”
Papaefthimiou said those heat-related deaths could have been prevented.
“For most people, heat isn’t an emergency,” she said. “Despite the tragic outcomes for some families, if you have high-quality housing, July’s heat wave is probably a vague memory. You probably stayed home and cranked up the AC or maybe went to the movies or spent a day at the beach. Folks who died of the heat mostly didn’t have those options due to income, age, or ability, but their deaths were preventable.”
According to the Oregon Health Authority, people most vulnerable to heat include older adults, children, people with disabilities and those with underlying health conditions. People who work outdoors are also vulnerable.
Between 2021 and 2024, the number of heat-related deaths spiked, with at least 185 Oregonians perishing due to heat-related illnesses. The number of people going to the emergency room due to excessive heat also increased.
The state has made some strides in helping low-income residents as well as renters access cooling devices in their homes. In 2023, legislators passed the Climate Resilience Package that included a goal to install 500,000 heat pumps by 2030. Portland also created a program through the Portland Clean Energy Fund to provide 18,000 free cooling units to low-income and vulnerable Portlanders.
In 2024, the Oregon Health Authority announced it had distributed more than 400 air conditioners to eligible Oregon Health Plan members.
The Oregon Department of Energy’s Rental Heat Pump Program provided $15 million worth of incentives to property owners for installing heat pumps in their rental units. That money was quickly allocated. The agency added an additional $4 million for the program, that money was reserved within two days.
Last year, the agency found that many of Oregon’s most vulnerable residents still lack the necessary equipment to stay cool in their homes during hot summers. It also found that residents in Multnomah County are more likely to be exposed to extreme heat than in the past, and have limited capacity to adapt to it.
Stephanie Kruse, the facilities engineer at the Oregon Department of Energy, said the agency’s Cooling Study looked at cooling needs in multi-family housing. It found about 21% of households in multi-unit housing have an immediate need for permanent cooling, meaning either central ACs or heat pumps.
But critics of SB 54 say the bill does not address several concerns, including initial installation costs for property owners. Landlords could face expenses ranging from $6,000 to $20,000 to install heat pumps, add insulation or update electrical boxes in older homes. Additional costs include maintenance. Others questioned how the increase in heat pump installation would impact the power grid.
Andie Smith is the board president of MultiFamily NW, an association representing rental property owners across Oregon and SW Washington. She is also a property owner with 2,100 rental units across Oregon.
Smith said the bill would be a large financial burden for housing providers like herself.
“While the goal of protecting residents from extreme heat is commendable, the financial burden on existing housing providers is substantial and risks discouraging further investment in Oregon’s established rental market,” she said.
New apartment construction in the Portland metro area is at the lowest levels seen since 2013, according to a recent report in Willamette Week.
Smith said costs for installing heat pumps are estimated between $5,000 to $10,000 per unit. That could cost her about $21 million in upfront costs for her units.
Because of this, she said the bill may discourage responsible housing investment and she urged legislators to consider collaborative solutions that could include assisting property owners in retrofitting older homes and more funding to offset costs.
The Senate Committee on Housing and Development has scheduled a public hearing for Senate Bill 54 for 1 p.m. Monday. The committee has also scheduled a work session for 1 p.m. on March 31.
