Biden-Harris Administration Announces $20 Million in Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants for Texas Organizations
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.
DALLAS, TEXAS (August 8, 2024)— The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $20,000,000 in grant funding for the Houston Health Department and their partner Black United Fund of Texas (BUFTX) 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. This funding announcement is the first tranche of nearly $2 billion from the program that was designed based on community input to award grants on a rolling basis.
These selected 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 (NOFO), administered through EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, is still accepting applications through November 21, 2024. 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. “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.”
“The Community Change Grants Program has benefited disadvantaged communities through projects that reduce pollution and increases community resilience to address environmental challenges in an area,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “EPA will continue to deliver unprecedented funding and resources to help communities in Texas maintain solar and energy efficiency.”
The Inflation Reduction Act provides $3 billion to EPA to award grants that help disadvantaged communities and offer technical assistance. With these grants, EPA is delivering on this mission.
The Community Change Grants also deliver on President Biden’s commitment to advance equity and justice throughout the United States through his Justice40 Initiative to 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.
A total of $20 million is being given to the Houston Health Department who will subaward the funding to the BUFTX to invest in a community solar energy system to support long-term resiliency and expand solar workforce development. The project also will plant 10,000 trees to provide shade and flood mitigation and expand efforts to reduce illegal dumping. Funding will expand the services provided by the BUFTX community resilience hub to increase its capacity to support the community before, during, and after emergencies.
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, 2024, so EPA encourages applicants to submit applications as soon as they completely meet the NOFO 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 NOFO here. To learn more about the Community Change Grants and Technical Assistance. To learn more about environmental justice at EPA, visit our webpage. For up-to-date information about the NOFO, including information on the webinars, subscribe to the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights’ listserv by sending a blank email to: join-epa-ej@lists.epa.gov. Follow us on X (formerly Twitter): @EPAEnvJustice.
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