California families have become increasingly familiar with high costs. From gas prices to groceries, hardworking families and businesses feel the financial strains in every corner of our state. For many San Bernardino County families, the lack of affordability isn’t a headline – it’s a daily reality.
As someone who sees this every day at the store while talking to my neighbors about how expensive it is, I want to bring attention to a little-known regulation that, if adopted, will make living here even more costly, and what we can do to stop it. A regional board called the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) is proposing to pass two mandates (which they call rules) that will directly target homeowners, renters, and small businesses, driving up costs for everyone in our community.
Replacing a gas furnace or water heater is not as simple as just swapping one appliance for another. It entails costly retrofits, including upgrading electrical panels, rewiring homes, and sometimes even extensive plumbing and structural renovations. In many instances, these changes can cost thousands of dollars per household, an amount that many working families cannot afford.
The situation is equally concerning for renters. Landlords facing steep costs to replace these systems will pass those expenses on to tenants, increasing rents in a region already grappling with a housing affordability crisis.
These rules don’t affect just a handful of homes – they would impact nearly every family, apartment complex, and small business in the Inland Empire. Up to 17 million people across Southern California could experience the consequences of these sweeping and overbearing mandates.
Let’s not forget the strain these rules would impose on our already overburdened electric grid. California has faced rolling blackouts, power shortages, and pleas from officials to conserve electricity during heat waves. Imagine adding millions of new electric water heaters and furnaces to that grid. The heightened demand could leave our families in the dark.
In the Inland Empire, we understand the harsh realities of air pollution and the impact on our younger population. However, forcing families to renovate their homes or deplete their finances is not going to solve our air quality problems and will create even greater challenges to public health. SCAQMD should instead focus on collaborating with manufacturers to incentivize cleaner gas-powered options, rather than imposing fees that ultimately make the consumer absorb the costs.
For these reasons, the San Bernardino Council of Governments, a voluntary association of local governments coordinating on important issues, opposes Rules 1111 and 1121.
Local governments throughout the Inland Empire are diligently working to create more housing, especially affordable options. We must question the wisdom of regulations that complicate and raise the cost of this effort. Every additional fee and new mandate undermines our ability to keep costs low and provide affordable housing for families.
While I represent Ontario residents and businesses, I’m also aware of the opinions that nearly 40 other cities in the region have expressed in opposition to Proposed Amended Rules 1111 and 1121.
The SCAQMD needs to listen to the concerns of families, businesses, and duly elected representatives in San Bernardino County.
There is a better path forward: one that balances environmental progress with affordability. Proposed Amended Rules 1111 and 1121 are not it. I urge the SCAQMD Board to vote no on these rules. If you want to get involved, email the SCAQMD at jvinh@aqmd.gov. Tell the board that you want them to oppose these amended rules.
Debra Porada represents the City of Ontario’s First District. She has lived in Ontario for more than 40 years
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