# Safe Temperature Act of 2023

This bill requires that homes receiving federal housing assistance maintain indoor temperatures between 71 and 81 degrees Fahrenheit. It applies to three main types of federally-funded housing: public housing, project-based rental assistance (where the subsidy is tied to a specific building), and supportive housing for elderly residents.

The practical effect is straightforward: landlords and housing authorities who receive federal money to help low-income residents pay rent must ensure their buildings have working heating and cooling systems that keep units within this temperature range. If a tenant's apartment gets too cold in winter or too hot in summer, the housing provider could face consequences for not meeting this requirement. The bill gives the federal government the authority to enforce this standard and allows them to use existing maintenance funds to make necessary repairs to heating and air conditioning systems.

This matters most for vulnerable populations—elderly people, low-income families, and others who depend on subsidized housing. Extreme temperatures can be dangerous, especially for seniors and people with health conditions. Someone living in a unit that's freezing in January or sweltering in July could face serious health risks, and this bill creates an enforceable standard to prevent that. For housing providers, it means they need to budget for and maintain climate control systems properly, though they can use their existing federal maintenance funds to do so rather than having to find new money.

Safe Temperature Act of 2023

Wilson, Frederica S.

Safe Temperature Act of 2023 This bill allows the Department of Housing and Urban Development to require units in public housing, supportive housing for the elderly, and dwellings receiving low-income housing choice voucher assistance to maintain a temperature level ranging from 71 to 81 degrees Fahrenheit.