How Multi-Family Housing Became an Unexpected Climate Solution for Both Parties

Democrats and Republicans in the United States agree on almost nothing these days, but one issue has emerged as a rare point of bipartisan consensus: the urgent need to build more housing. Whether framed as job creation and economic stimulus or as a solution to affordability and homelessness, the push for new homes is gaining traction across the political spectrum.

Yet while the debate rages over zoning laws, funding, and design, one critical benefit of multi-family housing has flown under the radar. New apartment buildings are far more climate-friendly than single-family homes, according to a recent report from the Sightline Institute, a nonprofit research organization. The report describes apartments as

“an almost automatic form of building decarbonization.”

Why Apartments Are Better for the Planet

The key advantage lies in how new apartments are heated. The report finds that 75% of new multi-family units are heated electrically, a trend driven by cost efficiency rather than climate policy. Electric heating systems—such as baseboard heaters—are cheaper to install than gas furnaces, which require extensive piping infrastructure. This economic incentive has made electric heating the default choice for apartment developers for decades.

“If I am building something with the intention of renting it, I really want to minimize my upfront costs,” said Amanda D. Smith, senior scientist at Project Drawdown, a climate solutions nonprofit. “Often electric water heaters and electric heaters for space heating make sense from that perspective.”

Economic forces have long favored electric heating in apartments. The report notes that 68% of apartments built since the early 1970s have been heated with electricity. Half a century ago, this choice was driven by practicality, not climate goals. Today, it’s an unintended but powerful climate solution.

Energy Efficiency by Design

Apartments are inherently more energy-efficient than single-family homes for several structural reasons:

• Shared walls and insulation: Residents share walls, floors, and ceilings with neighbors, reducing heat loss and improving insulation.
• Smaller unit sizes: Apartments typically have less square footage than detached homes, meaning less space to heat or cool.
• Lower emissions per resident: The typical resident of a downtown high-rise emits one-third as much greenhouse gas as a resident of a suburban detached house.

These efficiencies make apartments ideal candidates for further decarbonization. For example, heat pumps—which transfer warmth from outdoor air indoors rather than generating heat like gas furnaces—are increasingly viable in multi-family buildings. While the technology is still emerging for widespread adoption, its potential is clear.

Bipartisan Support for Housing, Unintended Climate Benefits

Ironically, even as the Trump administration and Republican Party have sought to roll back climate regulations, their push for deregulation and new construction has inadvertently accelerated decarbonization. In Montana, a deep-red state, lawmakers recently passed a series of bills to fast-track multi-family housing development.

“Apartments are the climate solution hiding in plain sight,” said Alan Durning, executive director of the Sightline Institute and author of the report. “They’re not just good for affordability—they’re good for the planet.”

Today, residents of apartments are 60% more likely to live in all-electric homes than their neighbors in single-family houses. As heat pumps and other clean technologies become more affordable, this advantage will only grow.

For policymakers, developers, and climate advocates, the message is clear: The next wave of housing construction could be one of the most effective tools for reducing America’s carbon footprint—if only they recognize its potential.