City Council Housing Committee - October 5, 2026

At its October 5, 2026 meeting, the City of Charlotte Housing Committee considered a referral to amend the minimum housing code to require cooling in residential dwellings. Staff proposed requiring equipment capable of maintaining no more than 80°F in at least two habitable rooms from May through September, with inoperable cooling treated as an immediately dangerous condition and a 48-hour repair timeframe. The committee voted 3–1 to recommend sending the amendment to the full council. Members discussed health and safety, affordability, enforcement capacity, and the need to clarify how owner-occupied homes and repairs delayed by parts or other circumstances would be handled. Staff said further code-enforcement resources may be needed, though they would attempt to absorb the work; no decision on additional staffing was made.

Existing cooling assistance programs would continue regardless of the ordinance decision, including window-unit distribution (about 200 units distributed, with a goal of 100 per year), owner-occupied rehabilitation support, and an HVAC pilot for small landlords. The pilot covers 75% of eligible installation costs, up to $10,000 per unit and 10 units or $100,000 per owner or affiliate, with 60%-of-AMI affordability requirements and a three-year HVAC maintenance commitment. No contract awards, vendor selections, or other procurement approvals were identified.