It's time to make this the law.
In September 2024, a council committee in London, Ont., voted to direct staff to develop a bylaw that would mandate that temperatures in rental units be kept below 26 C.
In Hamilton, Ont., the city helps low-income households get air conditioners. A greater number of Hamilton tenants will be receiving financial help to buy an air conditioner this year compared to last — ahead of what's expected to be another hot and humid summer.
The city will expand a grant program to provide $350 subsidies for low-income renters who have severe medical conditions likely to worsen in the heat.
Ontario Works, a social assistance program, already provides grants for AC units to about 50 Hamilton residents, says a staff report. The city's new contribution of $52,500 will expand the program to support a total of 200 people.
This year, ACORN released a report saying 44 per cent of 700 tenants surveyed said they had no access to air conditioning, and 67 per cent are paying out of pocket for utilities, often in poorly insulated buildings where every degree of comfort comes at a steep cost.
ACORN says "low- and moderate-income renters are being left to shoulder the cost of the climate crisis without the protections they deserve."
The association is calling for mandatory cooling requirements in all federally funded retrofits and building performance standards.