Public commenters urge indoor-temperature limit as LTWP asks for technical review

Members of the public and advocacy groups urged the Los Angeles City Energy Committee to adopt an ordinance that would set a maximum indoor temperature for rental housing, saying extreme heat is an urgent public-health risk for tenants.

Isabel Friedman, an attorney with the Council of Natural Defenses, said the proposal is necessary because "las temperaturas extremas es un peligro" and that the LTWP had already reviewed scenarios showing risks to Angelenos. "Esto es tiene que ser incluido en la estrategia de temperaturas al interior," she said.

Union director Cris González told the committee that his members install HVAC systems and argued that expanding access to cooling would both save lives and create jobs. Tenant speaker Alejandro Campillo, from the San Fernando Valley, said Valley residents face extreme temperatures and that the proposal would protect vulnerable populations, including undocumented tenants.

Energy Los Angeles associate Karen Romero Estrada urged the committee to adopt the measure as written, citing resiliency and public-health benefits for seniors, children and people with medical vulnerabilities. Property owner —ngela Be1ez also spoke in favor, saying owners can make units comfortable and that available technologies are cost-effective.

Sigfredo Mene9ndez, presenting for LDWP, asked the committee to allow LTWP to review additional safety measures before approving the ordinance, noting available data and offering to discuss specific protections. The chair and members acknowledged that item 3 would be heard again before final adoption: "la ordenanza regrese... vamos a oedrlo otra vez antes de que sea aprobado finalmente," the presenter said.

The committee heard public comments and a staff request for technical review; no final adoption was recorded at this meeting. The ordinance will return for further committee consideration and technical review before a final vote.