New Report Finds Thousands Evicted on NYC’s Hottest Days, as Extreme Heat Poses Growing Risk to Vulnerable Tenants 

New York, NY — As climate change drives increasingly hot summers and record-breaking temperatures across New York City, a new report from Legal Services NYC reveals that NYC’s poorest neighborhoods are also the hottest, and that vulnerable tenants in those neighborhoods are being evicted more frequently than in other neighborhoods at great risk to their health.  

The report, The Deadly Impact of Evictions During Extreme Heat, analyzed eviction and temperature data from 2017 to 2025 and found that 64% of evictions citywide occurred in areas where the Heat Vulnerability Index is highest at levels four and five (the hottest), putting already vulnerable tenants—predominately Black and Latinx —at risk of death and serious illness. One study estimates that unhoused and unsheltered people are at 200 to 300 times higher risk for heat-related death. The report calls on the City to address this risk by formally halting evictions during extreme heat.  

“Evicting someone during a heatwave isn’t just cruel—it is dangerous and entirely preventable,” said Carolyn Norton, Deputy Chief of Litigation & Advocacy at Legal Services NYC. “The City knows that extreme heat puts unhoused New Yorkers at serious risk, yet it continues to let marshals push NYC’s most vulnerable tenants into homelessness on days when the heat is dangerously high. No one should be forced out of their home when the risk of hospitalization or even death is this high and the City must act to stop it.” 
 
The report found that from 2017 to 2025, more than 7,500 households were evicted on days when the average temperature topped 90°F, which means it was even hotter in other areas of the City. Most of those evictions occurred in the city’s hottest neighborhoods, where historic disinvestment, limited green space, and aging infrastructure create “urban heat islands” that intensify the dangers of extreme weather. In 2024 alone, over 16,000 families were evicted citywide—nearly two-thirds of them from areas that the city has designated as highly heat-vulnerable. 

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READ THE GOTHAMIST ARTICLE: NYC tenants are being evicted during extreme heat. A new report says it should be illegal.

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The report underscores how extreme heat amplifies the horrors associated with an eviction. Low-income tenants facing eviction are less likely to have an air conditioner and are at greater risk of heat-related health problems the day of and immediately following eviction, including heat exhaustion, dehydration, and other heat-related illnesses. Homelessness also dramatically increases the risk of heat-related medical issues, exposing people to direct sunlight, air pollutants, and allergens.  
 
One elderly Queens tenant travelling to housing court fell and injured herself on an 100°F day. She later left court due to a heat-related illness. Another Bronx tenant, pregnant, was evicted on a 99°F day, putting her at greater risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. Legal Services NYC appealed to the marshal to stop this eviction due to the extreme heat, but the marshal said they would not hold off. 

Deaths due to excessive heat disproportionately occur in low-income communities of color. According to City data, deaths from heat stress are higher in neighborhoods where more than 30% of residents have a household income below the federal poverty line. Black New Yorkers are nearly 2.5 times as likely to die from heat-stress than white New Yorkers. Elderly New Yorkers are also at elevated risk to the dangerous effects of excessive heat. 

Although the City’s Department of Investigations, which oversees city marshals, has previously suspended evictions during extreme circumstances, including heat, hurricanes, and pandemics, those directives were issued without advance notice—leaving tenants unaware and still preparing for an eviction. The report highlights the need for the City to create a formal policy on pausing evictions during extreme heat. 

Meanwhile, other cities have already taken action, including Baltimore pausing evictions during a multi-day June heatwave, and new laws in Maryland and Sonoma County prohibiting evictions during states of emergency or excessive heat warnings.  
 
“Too often, these decisions come down without notice, leaving tenants scrambling in dangerous conditions,” Norton added. “It shouldn’t take another heat emergency to recognize that evictions during extreme weather put lives at risk. We need a smarter, more humane approach—one that matches the reality our most vulnerable New Yorkers are living through.” 

“Evicting someone during a dangerous heat wave is both cruel and shortsighted,” said Councilmember Gale A. Brewer, Chair of the Committee on Oversight and Investigations, which provides oversight on the Department of Investigation. “Extreme heat is a silent killer, and it disproportionately affects low-income New Yorkers, older adults, and communities of color—often the same neighborhoods where evictions happen most. Forcing people into the streets or through the court system in 100-degree weather is inhumane and puts lives at risk, while also straining our already overburdened shelter and healthcare systems.” 

“Climate emergencies like extreme heat pose a deadly risk to our city, disproportionately impacting low-income residents,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who recently put out a report on the increasing cost of utility bills during hot summer months. “Keeping people safely housed during these dangerous conditions is both a matter of public safety and saving lives. The City has a responsibility to ensure that all New Yorkers have safe shelter as a lifeline – particularly as we face a housing crisis – and this report is an urgent to call for swift action to protect the most vulnerable New Yorkers.” 

“Heat waves are deadly, especially for low-income and housing vulnerable New Yorkers,” said Councilmember Lincoln Restler, who introduced legislation mandating access to air conditioning during hot months. “I’m grateful to Legal Services NYC for sounding the alarm about New Yorkers being evicted during heat waves, and I’m committed to helping prevent these cruel evictions and ensuring that every New Yorker has access to cooling in their homes.” 

“This report raises a critical opportunity to bring eviction operations in alignment with New York City’s broader strategies to eliminate the hundreds of heat deaths that occur each year,” said WE ACT’s Resiliency Coordinator Caleb Smith. “Many of the neighborhoods with the greatest displacement risk also bear the highest heat vulnerability index scores. The City’s data shows that Black New Yorkers are twice as likely to die from heat-related issues compared to white residents, and this report shows that those evicted are likely to end up at a far greater risk. Enacting a policy that directly addresses the safety of tenants navigating the worst effects of both the housing affordability and climate crises during heat emergencies is the humane thing to do.”  

“Tenants going through eviction cases face terrible consequences during summer heat waves,” said Housing Court Answers Executive Director Jenny Laurie. “Tenants we assist, who are in eviction cases without legal representation, must make repeated trips to city agency offices, social service agencies and to Housing Court. These trips involve stressful, long waits, sometimes for hours, sometimes standing outdoors. Once evicted, tenants have to find a shelter intake, which, again, requires more travel and waiting in lines, often outside. This is especially rough on elderly tenants or those with respiratory conditions. While the winter extreme cold days used to be the worst weather threat to vulnerable tenants, the summer heat now poses a greater danger to life and health. Housing Court Answers applauds the court system and the Department of Investigation for halting evictions this past July 29 and 30th when the city registered heat indexes in the 90s. Eviction is a traumatic experience for any tenant – we need a law pausing all evictions during extreme heat.”