EPA Announces More Than $20 Million in Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants in Ohio

EPA Announces More Than $20 Million in Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants in Ohio

EPA announces initial selections from $2 billion Inflation Reduction Act program - the largest single environmental justice investment in history - delivered by President Biden's Investing in America agenda. 

July 25, 2024

Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced The MetroHealthSystem and The Trust for Public Landin Ohio will receive $17,191,775 and $3,000,000 respectively to help disadvantaged communities tackle environmental and climate justice challenges through projects that reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, and build community capacity. Made possible by President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, the Community Change Grants Program is the single largest investment in environmental and climate justice in history. The funding announcement today is the first of nearly $2 billion from the program that was designed based on community input to award grants on a rolling basis.

These two groupsand otherselected applications are the first to come under the Community Change Grants Program's rolling application process. Informed by robust stakeholder engagement and community feedback, the innovative rolling application process will ensure that applicants have ample time to prepare and take advantage of this historic resource. The Community Change Grants Program notice of funding opportunity,administered through EPA'sOffice of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, is still accepting applications through November 21. EPA will continue to review applications and announce selections on a rolling basis. 

"Our ability to deliver tangible results for communities depends on listening to them and developing innovative solutions through inclusive stakeholder engagement," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. "Today, thanks to President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, EPA has selected the first cohort of community partnerships to solve emerging and longstanding environmental and climate justice challenges."

"Engaging communities on the front lines of climate and environmental issues is a cornerstone of EPA's commitment to Environmental Justice," said EPA Region5Administrator Debra Shore. "These communities have been overburdened for too long and that divide is only growing as climate change worsens. These grants are an opportunity to work together and address core environmental issues for our EJ communities."

MetroHealth, along with partnerCommunity Housing Solutions,will identify 1,200 Cleveland-area households with at least one resident with asthma and work with them to reduce indoor air pollution. They will replace gas ranges with electric ranges, upgrade kitchen electrical systems as needed, and improve kitchen ventilation. They also will offer households financial incentives to switch to a cleaner electricity supplier and will install EV chargers upon request. All project activities will include extensive community outreach.

Trust for Public Land, along with partnerSee You at the Top,will work with the city of Cleveland and the Cleveland Parks and Greenspace Coalition to engage residents of eight historically disadvantaged neighborhoods in municipal decision-making and planning processes related to parks and greenspaces.

"The Inflation Reduction Act continues to deliver for Northeast Ohio. I'm excited to join the EPA in announcing two federal grant awards to MetroHealthand The Trust for Public Land. These grants will make a tangible difference for local families, helping thousands of residents with asthma upgrade their homes and giving residents a voice in developing greenspace. We all deserve clean air, indoors and outdoors, and these grants help us move toward that goal," said Rep.Shontel Brown.

"Trust for Public Land and Syattare grateful for the opportunity to create system-wide change in Cleveland via the Cleveland Parks & Greenspace Coalition. This award will center community residents in the development of the new Parks and Recreation Department and implementation of the city-wide parks and greenspace comprehensive plan. The equity-driven, environmental, and climate justice community work in this grant award will encourage two-way communication between the Cityand residents, becoming a watershed event for a more resilient Cleveland," said Sean Terry, Ohio State Director at Trust for Public Land.

"We are excited to work on this project which has the potential to reduce indoor air pollution, improve asthma control, and improve quality of life," Dr. Ashwini Sehgal of MetroHealth Systems. "This project will help participants to miss fewer days of work or school, increase their property values, and reduce their energy costs. We are grateful for this opportunity to help our local community in Cleveland, where asthma affects 1 in every 5 people."

The Inflation Reduction Act provides$3 billion to EPA to award grants that help disadvantaged communities and offertechnical assistance. With these grants, EPA isdeliveringon this mission.

The Community Change Grants also deliver on President Biden's commitment to advance equity and justice throughout the United States through hisJustice40 Initiativeto ensure that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments go to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.

Track I of the program, Community-Driven Investments for Change, is expected to award approximately $1.96 billion for 150 projects for $10-20 million each.

Track II, Meaningful Engagement for Equitable Governance, is expected to award approximately $40 million for 20 projects for $1-3 million each. Track II applicants who will facilitateindividual and community participation in governmental decision-making processesare:

See the full listing of the initial 21 organizations receiving a CCGP grant and learn more about CCGP.

The Community Change Grants Program is still accepting applications through November 21, so EPA encourages applicants to submit applications as soon as they completely meet the requirements. EPA will be making additional selections on a rolling basis for the remainder of 2024.EPA also encourages interested applicants to apply for technical assistance as soon as possible, as the last day to request new technical assistance is August 16, 2024.

Read the Community Change Grants notice of funding opportunity here: https://www.epa.gov/inflation-reduction-act/inflation-reduction-act-community-change-grants-program.

To learn more about the Community Change Grants and technical assistance: https://www.epa.gov/inflation-reduction-act/inflation-reduction-act-community-change-grants-program

To learn more about environmental justice at EPA, visit: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice

For up-to-date information, including information on webinars, subscribe to the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights' listserv by sending a blank email to: [email protected]. Follow us on X (formerly Twitter): @EPAEnvJustice.

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