More than 23 million homeowners are energy insecure, forced into stark trade-offs, including forgoing food or medicine to pay utility bills, enduring unsafe temperatures due to inadequate or broken heating and cooling systems, or facing shutoff threats from their utility. While targeted home renovations can reduce energy costs, higher-income households are primarily the ones making these improvements.

Sophia Weeden and Diana Hernández will present new research drawing on multiple data sources to describe disparities in energy use, energy insecurity, housing affordability, and home renovation activity. They’ll also discuss the implications for federal energy and housing policy, including ongoing debates over how home energy assistance and weatherization programs should be designed and funded. Rachel Bogardus Drew will moderate.