On Binghamton University Week: African American households are shouldering a heavier burden of energy costs; why is this?

George Homsy, Director of Environmental Studies and Associate Professor in the Department of Public Administration and Policy, finds two possible reasons why.

George Homsy’s research centers on sustainability and local government policymaking. He explores the drivers of sustainability policy change and the results of implementation. His interest lies in small- to medium-size cities and towns. He is the co-principal investigator (with Dr. Mildred Warner, Cornell University) on a research project funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture examining the ways that rural communities implement and balance the environmental, economic and equity dimensions of sustainability. With Siobhan Hart (Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University), Homsy is exploring the nexus of heritage and sustainability, especially at the neighborhood level. He frequently links his academic research to practice through collaborations with the International City/County Management Association and the American Planning Association.

Before returning to Cornell University for his PhD, Homsy was a planning consultant helping small- and medium-sized municipalities create environmentally and economically sustainable communities. He began his investigation of local governments and sustainability as a journalist with the public radio newsmagazine Living on Earth, which he co-founded and co-produced. Subsequently, as a freelance journalist, he wrote for Planning and Tomorrow magazines as well as National Public Radio, CBS Radio’s Osgood Files and The Boston Globe.

Many people feel the strain of increasing energy bills. When families spend more on heat or electricity, they have less money for other essentials like medicine, transportation, or healthy food.

For many African American families, energy bills take an extra big bite out of their budgets. My colleague, Dr. Ki Eun Kang, and I tried to figure out why some Black families suffer this energy injustice.

Our analysis of census tracts across the U.S. found that while the average household spends about three percent of their income on energy costs, Black households average over 5 percent. The difference is not because statistically African Americans earn less money. Even when Black households earn the same as others, they still pay a larger share of their incomes.

Why might this be the case? Communities are complicated, but we found two possible reasons rooted in housing. First, African Americans more likely live in older homes with poor insulation and inefficient appliances. So even if a Black family earns the same income as another family, the Black family might use more energy to warm or cool their homes, cook food, heat water, and so on.

Also, Black families are more likely to live in rental properties, where they cannot make energy-efficient upgrades – like installing new windows, insulation, or appliances.

African American households may be in this situation because their homes are more likely found in neighborhoods that have historically been discriminated against through housing policies.

Policymakers would do well to recognize the specific challenges facing minority and rental communities as they craft energy-efficiency programs.

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George Homsy, Binghamton University – African American Households Shoulder a Heavier Burden of Energy Costs

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George Homsy, Binghamton University – African American Households Shoulder a Heavier Burden of Energy Costs