Keeping cool requires more than just cranking up the A/C

WEATING INSIDE your apartment as the temperature climbs is becoming ever more common in Los Angeles and, as extreme heat keeps intensifying, more dangerous.

- SOPHIA M. CHARAN AND HYE MIN PARK GUEST CONTRIBUTORS

GENARO MOLINA Los Angeles Times JOSE PENA installs an air conditioner at San Fernando Gardens public housing in Pacoima.

Last month, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance that will require landlords to ensure the ability to maintain a temperature of 82 degrees or below in all habitable rooms by 2027 or 2032, depending on how many units the landlord owns.

This is a step in the right direction, but what else can be done? What can renters do to cope until 2032? Keeping cool often requires more than just cranking up the A/C. Promising strategies include passive steps like insulation and cooling apartment units in zones.

During hot weather, Los Angeles sees increases in heat illnesses, emergency services and hospitalization rates. At the same time, the power grid during heat waves has shown its vulnerability: In 2024, more than 10,000 Southern Californians lost power during September heat waves, leaving residents — and venues such as the Hollywood Bowl — without electricity.