November 21, 2023
EPA Opens $2B for Climate Justice Community Change Grants Program (see below)
December 22, 2023
EPA Announcement on Thriving Communities – $50 million for Building Capacity to Advance Environ. Justice in Thriving Communities in EP A Region 3 (DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, WV). PA Partners: Green & Healthy Homes Initiative Inc. & Women for a Healthy Environment (Pitts. PA).
Background Information on BIL/IRA Environmental Justice Programs
EXECUTIVE ORDERS & THRIVING COMMUNITIES REGIONAL HUBS
On January 27, 2021 – President Biden signed an Executive Order on Climate Change – Creating a Jobs, Building Infrastructure, and Delivering Environmental Justice program. This Executive Order created the White House Environmental Justice Interagency Council, established the Justice40 Initiative with a goal to deliver 40% of the benefits of federal climate change related investments to disadvantaged communities, and created the White House Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool to help meet Justice40 goals.
THRIVING COMMUNITIES – REGIONAL HUBS
April 13, 2023 – Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers – EPA selected 16 Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTACs) in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy to received $177 million to help underserved and overburdened communities across the country. The National Wildlife Federation received a $12 million grant to lead a Mid-Atlantic Thriving Communities Hub (MATCH) to be an Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center for EPA Region 3 (DE, MD, PA, VA, and WV and DC).
On April 21, 2023 – President Biden signed an Executive Order: Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All – that provided new resources and authorities to the White House Office of Environmental Justice and listed the nearly 470 programs across 19 federal agencies that are covered under the President’s Justice40 Initiative and requiring all BIL/IRA program implementation activities to be informed by Justice40 principles.
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE – PARTNERSHIP & LOCAL GOVERNMENT GRANTS
October 24, 2023 – Biden Administration Announces Nearly $128 Million for Environmental Justice Projects in Communities Across the Country as Part of Investing in America Agenda
1. The Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement Program – The program assists recipients in building collaborative partnerships with other stakeholders (e.g., local businesses and industry, local government, academia, etc.) to develop solutions to environmental or public health issue(s) at the community level. See 2023 Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving (EJCPS) Program Project Summaries.
- See Page 15 – Recipient: John Bartram Association – Project Title: Strengthening Southwest Philadelphia’s Environmental Sovereignty and Climate Resilience through Greening and Youth Workforce Development. – Project Location: Philadelphia, PA
- See Page 16 – Recipient: Nueva Esperanza, Inc., Project Title: Hunting Park Community-Led Climate Resilience and Empowerment Project, Project Location: Philadelphia, PA
- See Page 16 – Recipient: Shamokin Creek Restoration Alliance – Project Title: Partnership for the Greater Shamokin Area to establish a coordinator position, office space, and lasting relationships. Project Location: Shamokin, Kulpmont, Coal Township, PA
2. The Environmental Justice Government-to-Government (EJG2G) Program – provides funding at the state & local level to support government activities that lead to measurable environmental or public health impacts in communities disproportionately burdened by environmental harms. – 2023 Project Selectees. PDF List Here.
- See Page 12 – Recipient: Allegheny, Co. Project Title: Environmental Justice Government to Government Grant. Funding will be used to address Climate Change Resilience Planning for Allegheny County Municipalities., Project Location: Alleghany Co., PA
- See Pages 14-15 – Recipient: PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Project Title: Pennsylvania Engaging New Voices on Environmental Justice – DEP aims to identify Community Based Organizations (CBOs) to fund the use their existing networks to convene stakeholders and residents with DEP staff and other partners.
- See Page 17 – Recipient: City of Philadelphia, Project Title: Enhancing, Strengthening and Scaling Action on Environmental Justice in Philadelphia, Project Location: Philadelphia, PA – Foundational objectives include building the capacity of the resident-led Philadelphia Environmental Justice Advisory Commission (PEJAC), equipping departments with the necessary tools and resources to guide decision making that advances EJ, and developing a framework for institutionalizing EJ within government.
THRIVING COMMUNITIES – LOCAL GOVERNMENT/NON-PROFIT/UNIV GRANTS
November 21, 2023 – EPA Opens $2B for Climate Justice Community Change Grants Program
Eligible Applicants: Entities eligible to apply under this Community Change Grants Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) are:
- A partnership between two community-based non-profit organizations (CBOs).
- A partnership between a CBO and one of the following:
- a local government
- an institution of higher education.
Grant Amounts: EPA envisions allocating about $2 billion through this NOFO, with $1.96 billion designated for Track I, where individual awards are anticipated to fall between $10 million and $20 million. 20 Track II awards are also expected, each ranging from $1 million to $3 million.
Key Dates: Applications are open for a year – from November 21, 2023 to November 21, 2024.
Rolling Applications: EPA will review Community Change Grant applications on a rolling basis. This allows applicants to utilize technical assistance and resubmit a new application (one-time resubmission) if not initially selected. EPA encourages applicants to apply as early as possible.
Technical Assistance: $200 million in technical assistance is available for capacity building & support for communities and their partners to access planning resources. There are two technical assistance programs for the Community Change Grants. Learn more on EPA’s Community Change Grants Technical Assistance webpage.
THRIVING COMMUNITIES – COMMUNITY TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS
December 22, 2023 – Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program (EJ TCGM) – EPA has selected 11 Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmakers (i.e., Grantmakers) that will receive $600 million to serve as pass-through entities nationwide through the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program (EJ TCGM) cooperative agreements to provide subgrants to community-based nonprofits and other eligible subrecipients for assessment, planning, and project development activities.
2023 ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE THRIVING COMMUNITIES GRANTMAKING PROGRAM SELECTEES (PDF) – Region 3 Recipient: Green & Healthy Homes Initiative Inc. (GHHI)
Hub Location: Baltimore, MD. Award Amount: $50,000,000
Building Capacity to Advance Environmental Justice for Thriving Communities in Region 3:
DE, DC, MD, PA, VA & WV – Partners include:
- Latin American Community Center (Wilmington, DE)
- Childrens National Research Institute (Washington, DC)
- Black Millennials 4 Flint (Washington, DC)
- Block Power (Brooklyn, NY)
- Chesapeake Bay Foundation (Annapolis, MD)
- Children’s National Hospital (Washington, DC)
- Chisolm Legacy Project (Baltimore, MD)
- Coalition for Green Capital (Washington, DC)
- Delaware State University (Dover, DE)
- Howard University (Washington, DC)
- Invest Appalachia (Ashville, NC)
- JustFund (Oakland, CA)
- NAACP Maryland (Columbia, MD)
- New Ecology (Boston, MA)
- Savanah Barber (Tribal lands, VA)
- United Parents Against Lead (Richmond, VA)
- Women for a Healthy Environment (Pittsburgh, PA)
Initiative aims to bring a breath of fresh air to disinvested communities, By Rosanne Skirble, December 21, 2023 – Maryland Matters (Profile of Green & Healthy Homes Initiative Inc.)
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE – GREEN BANK FUNDING FOR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES
EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund – NEW RESOURCES COMING IN 2024
Current Timeline – Important Dates:
March 2024 – Anticipated Notification of Selections
July 2024 – Anticipated Awards
EPA’s Inflation Reduction Act Greenhouse Gas Reduction Funds:
- National Clean Investment Fund – $14 billion
- The Clean Communities Investment Accelerator competition – $6 billion*
- Solar for All competition – $7 billion*
*All funds must be targeted towards underserved communities.