October Map of the Month

On July 1, 2024, Georgia’s Safe at Home Act went into effect. Passed earlier this year, the law establishes that for any lease signed after July 1 Georgia landlords have a “duty of habitability” and must ensure that their rental unit is “fit for human habitation.” This includes maintaining a safe and healthy property and addressing tenants’ maintenance requests in a timely manner, and it gives tenants legal recourse if these conditions are not met. 

September Map of the Month

In recent years, Puerto Rico has struggled with persistent power outages, and as we find ourselves in the middle of hurricane season, the island’s energy challenges—and resiliency solutions—are more pressing than ever. This month’s map features a time series of blackouts in Puerto Rico during 2022, using the most recent data available.  

Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) Launches BRESE Collaborative to Enhance Regional Building Codes 

The Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) is proud to announce the launch of the Building a Resilient and Efficient Southeast (BRESE) Collaborative, a groundbreaking initiative designed to address the region’s unique climate challenges and regulatory landscape. This collaborative effort aims to bolster energy code adoption, implementation, and compliance across the Southeast, a region currently lagging in building code advancements compared to national standards. 

August Map of the Month

This month’s maps use data from the LIHEAP Data Warehouse to shed light on the scope and impact of LIHEAP assistance in the Southeast. Through LIHEAP, HHS makes grants to states, tribes, and territories that are typically administered through local community action agencies. However, the need far exceeds the resources available and local agencies often must make difficult decisions about how to distribute funds. 

July Map of the Month

Historically, the development of transportation infrastructure in the United States has exacerbated inequities by displacing people of color and contributing to residential segregation. Without thoughtful approaches, the build-out of electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure has the potential to contribute to inequities through access and affordability disparities. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) provides funding to build 500,000 public EV chargers by 2030. Where these chargers are sited will play a key role in determining who can drive an EV and where air pollution is reduced.  

June Map of the Month

Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Building Permits Survey, this month’s map examines the rate of change in building permits issued for the construction of new housing units across the Southeast over the last five years to understand where residential building activity has been heating up.. Counties in blue have experienced increases in residential construction activity, while counties in red have experienced declines in the number of permits pulled between 2018 and 2023.