By Roya Safaeinili, SPUR News

As Bay Area cities pursue building electrification, one of the main challenges is ensuring that efforts to deliver the broad social benefits of energy efficiency and cleaner air do not inadvertently undermine housing affordability or renter stability by causing rent increases or evictions.

Buildings account for about 25% of California’s greenhouse gas emissions, and the state has committed to carbon neutrality by 2045. The Bay Area Air District’s new rules speed that transition by phasing out the sale of gas water heaters starting in 2027 (Rule 9-6) and gas furnaces starting in 2029 (Rule 9-4). But the rules are not just aimed at cutting emissions. Replacing gas equipment with heat pumps and electric appliances improves indoor and outdoor air quality and protects people from extreme heat. According to census data, renters are especially exposed to the latter: 29% of renter-occupied homes lack central or room AC, compared with 20% of owner-occupied homes.