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The enforcement of the Chicago Minimum Requirements for Existing Buildings is crucial to ensuring that both residential and commercial properties maintain adequate heating standards. Chicagoans are no strangers to brutal blizzards, filling the tub with water, or letting the faucet drip to prevent frozen pipes. The recent national news about Tateona Williams, a Detroit mother who lost two of her children over the weekend due to extreme cold, hits home. In Chicago, 45% of the unhoused population is African American, and dangerously low temperatures disproportionately impact homeless individuals and families. Rent burdens and high utility costs further complicate the struggle to stay housed and warm.
The Burden of Energy CostsClimate change disproportionately affects marginalized communities. A study of 5,686 American households from the federal Residential Energy Consumption Survey found that, on average, Black households spend $120.20 more per year on energy than other households. This disparity grows in higher income brackets, even when factors like insulation, window quantity, and roofing types are accounted for—primarily due to higher heating demands. A 2017 NAACP report also found that Black households are more likely to experience utility disconnection.
Fortunately, Illinoisans are protected by a winter weather rule, which prohibits utility disconnections for eligible customers from December 1 through March 31. However, eligibility requires payment of past-due balances and enrollment in a payment plan. Reconnections also require a payment—often less than what was previously owed.
For low-income families, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides relief. Of the $300,885,621 allocated, 64% was used to assist 155,770 households with heating costs. Additional funds went toward winter crisis assistance and weatherization, aiding 36,168 households. Supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, LIHEAP has helped keep families warm and safe since its enactment by Congress in August 1981.
Gaps in Cold-Weather ProtectionsInadequate heating is also a serious health risk for seniors. This year, extreme cold inconveniently coincided with Presidents’ Day, limiting access to warming centers. Of Chicago’s 250 warming centers, only 57 were open due to the holiday. Chicago Public Libraries, community colleges, and the city’s 21 senior centers all observed the holiday, leaving many residents without shelter from the dangerous cold. But families don’t have to be homeless to need warmth.
A scathing investigative report by the Illinois Answers Project exposed repeat offenders of Chicago’s Heat Ordinance during the coldest months of the year. Renters reported inadequate heat, lack of running water, or no heat at all. Irresponsible landlords face fines ranging from $500 to $1,000 per day for violations, but tenants often resort to unsafe alternative heating methods, like space heaters, to survive.
Raising Awareness & Taking ActionAs the cold lingers, the City of Chicago is using social media to communicate public safety information. However, with just over 151,000 followers across Facebook, Instagram, and X, a critical question arises: How do residents—especially the most vulnerable—learn about available resources, warming center locations, and how to file a heat complaint?
Cold weather deaths occur every year—yet they are often preventable. As Chicago mourns alongside Tateona Williams, we must move beyond thoughts and prayers toward vigilance and solutions.