Housing Equity and Adaptation for Tenants (HEAT-Barcelona)

Duration

01/03/2024 - 28/02/2028

Coordinator

Sarah Koch y Margarita Triguero-Mas

Funded by

The New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) Canada

Website

https://www.heatresearchcollective.com

Project overview

Barcelona is experiencing a severe housing affordability crisis while also facing rising temperatures and increasingly frequent and prolonged heatwaves. High ambient temperatures are strongly associated with excess mortality and morbidity, and housing conditions in the city often intensify these risks.

Many residential buildings lack adequate insulation, air conditioning or passive cooling features, making them particularly vulnerable to overheating. Older adults and socially disadvantaged groups are especially exposed to the combined effects of inadequate housing and extreme heat.

Project objectives

The HEAT-Barcelona project examines how exposure to high temperatures affects the health, wellbeing and activity patterns of older residents, with a specific focus on housing conditions and tenure characteristics.

1. Measuring environmental exposure and health impacts

We will assess indoor and outdoor environmental quality and its effects on older adults’ activity behaviours, health and wellbeing using:

• Specialised sensors to measure temperature, humidity and air pollution
• Activity trackers to capture physical activity, sleep and sedentary time
• Health questionnaires and clinical assessments

This work will provide recommendations on thresholds beyond which symptoms and behavioural changes require preventive action.

2. Identifying adaptation strategies and policy opportunities

Through a mixed-methods approach, we will work with a wide range of stakeholders to identify existing climate adaptation and mitigation plans in Barcelona. We will analyse how these strategies interact with housing conditions, sociodemographic factors, individual perceptions and everyday practices.

The overarching aim is to understand strengths, limitations and opportunities of current interventions in order to provide tailored recommendations that support immediate local action.

Expected contribution

The project will generate environmental, health and social data to:

• Support adaptation and mitigation efforts without displacing or disempowering senior tenants
• Safeguard the right to secure, high-quality housing in the context of climate change

Ultimately, HEAT-Barcelona aims to inform policies addressing the intersecting challenges of climate change, population ageing and housing inequity.

Total Funding

CAD 2,441,500 for the entire project (Vancouver, New York, and Barcelona).

Funded by The New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) Canada.