Rep. Watson Coleman Reintroduces The SHADE Act To Combat Rising Temperatures In Cities
Bill would provide resources for cities to plant shade trees in formerly redlined neighborhoods and communities experiencing extreme heat.
Washington, D.C. (July 26, 2025) - Today, as extreme heat and humidity make for dangerous conditions across the country, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) introduced the Saving Hazardous and Declining Environments Act (SHADE Act). This legislation would establish a grant program within the Department of Housing and Urban Development to plant trees in formerly redlined districts and communities experiencing intra-urban heat islands. This summer, the U.S. has seen historic and sustained extreme heat, with severe temperatures posing a growing threat as climate change worsens.
Redlining, a discriminatory housing policy developed by the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC), was designed to deny resources to predominately minority neighborhoods and halt investments in those neighborhoods they deemed “hazardous” and “declining.” Through this process, the HOLC identified communities that were eligible for investments and those that were not. Ultimately, this led to racial profiling and the refusal of insurance or home loans, on the basis of race. While the Fair Housing Act of 1968 prohibited redlining, the lasting damaging effects of redlining are apparent today.
A recent study examined 108 urban areas in the United States and found that almost all formerly redlined urban areas experienced higher land surface temperatures than non-redlined areas, due to reduced tree cover and increased asphalt or concrete surfaces. Redlined areas are on average 4.68°F warmer than in non-redlined areas, with discrepancies as high as 12.6 °F having been measured between some neighborhoods.
“For decades minority communities in the United States were explicitly discriminated against through redlining,” said Congresswoman Watson Coleman. “Significant evidence has shown the negative environmental effects of redlining and demonstrates the crucial need for proactive efforts to combat rising temperatures in urban areas. The SHADE Act bill would help combat the intentionally racist and highly problematic housing policies which impact communities to this day.”
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the urban heat island effect can cause some parts of cities to be up to 20 degrees hotter than nearby neighborhoods with more trees. Trees have a significant impact on decreasing land surface temperatures, as they provide direct shade, decrease surrounding air temperatures through evapotranspiration, and reduce the amount of solar radiation hitting heat-absorbing surfaces, such as buildings and roads, which release heat back into neighborhoods. Studies estimate that living in high ambient temperatures is the cause of 12,000 avoidable premature deaths per year in the U.S. In addition, research indicates that living in areas of excessive heat, with limited green space, can negatively impact a person’s mental health.
“As summers grow longer and hotter, communities across the country are feeling the heat—but it’s neighborhoods with too few trees that are paying the highest price,” said Joel Pannell, Vice President of Urban Forest Policy at American Forests. “The SHADE Act is smart, lifesaving policy. It treats trees like the critical infrastructure they are—cooling our streets, cleaning our air, boosting our health, and powering local economies. We applaud Rep. Watson Coleman for pushing forward this bold, commonsense legislation to bring shade, safety, and equity to every neighborhood.”
A Washington Post analysis of data provided by the nonprofit First Street Foundation estimated that the average number of Americans experiencing at least three consecutive days of temperatures 100 degrees or higher each year will climb from 46 percent today to 63 percent over the next 30 years.
The SHADE Act will:
- Create a grant program under the Department of Housing and Urban Development to plant trees in formerly redlined areas graded “hazardous” and “definitely declining” by the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation
- Make funds available to overburdened areas that either 35% or more households qualify as low income, 40% or more of residents identify as minority or as members of a tribal community, or 40% or more of households are limited English proficiency
- Appropriate $50,000,000 per fiscal year from 2024 through 2034 for the design, planting, monitoring, and maintenance of the trees
The SHADE Act is cosponsored by Reps. Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At Large), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Cleo Fields (LA-06), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Nanette Barragan (CA-44), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Dina Titus (NV-01), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Troy Carter (LA-02), Frank Pallone (NJ-06), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Bobby Scott (VA-03), Nydia Velazquez (NY-07), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Rob Menendez (NJ-08), Grace Meng (NY-06), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Judy Chu (CA-28), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), and Timothy Kennedy (NY-26).
The SHADE Act has been endorsed by American Forests, the oldest national nonprofit conservation organization in the United States.
The SHADE Act can be read here.