Subject:
Title
Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grant Program
Body
Presented By: Luke Morgan and Keith Thomas
Recommendation and Review
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grant Program (Community Change Grants or CCGs) is funded by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and will support community-driven projects that address climate challenges, reduce pollution, and strengthen communities through thoughtful implementation. City staff plan to apply to the CCG program for a minimum of $1 million to support the environmental and sustainability education of disadvantaged populations in the City, to implement a comprehensive community engagement strategy to receive community feedback on the City’s Environmental Action Plan (EAP), and to incorporate the community’s feedback into the development of the EAP’s action plans and targets. The EPA requires all applicants to have a Statutory Partner formalized by an official agreement in order to apply. City staff have identified Church World Service as the Statutory Partner due to this organization’s mission and communities with which it works. City staff have also identified several potential collaborating entities to strengthen the grant application. While applications are accepted by a rolling deadline until November 21, 2024, City staff plan to apply by August 15, 2024, to provide time to receive feedback from the EPA.