Community Change Grants Selections
The applications on this page have been selected 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. Including in five Target Investment Areas (TIAs). TIA funding is intended to ensure that Community Change Grants Program funding is directed towards disadvantaged communities with unique circumstances, geography, and needs.
The Community Change Grants Program, administered through the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, closed the application process on November 21, 2024.
Learn more about the Community Change Grants Program
Read the July 25, 2024 Community Change Grants Initial Selections Announcement.
Last Updated: November 22, 2024
Track I Selections
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. The Track I applicants who are implementing community-scale projects to address environmental and climate justice challenges are:
Lead Applicant: Texas A&M University
Statutory Partner: Black Belt Unincorporated Wastewater Program (BBUWP)
Application Name: Innovative, Climate-Resilient, and Cost-Effective Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems and Management in Rural Unincorporated Communities in the Alabama Black Belt
Location: (Wilcox/Hale/Lowndes Counties, AL)
TIA Category: Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities (TIA D)
Summary: Texas A&M University and the Black Belt Unincorporated Wastewater Program will install onsite wastewater treatment systems for 350 households that lack adequate wastewater management in Alabama’s Hale, Lowndes, and Wilcox counties. The project also will develop a training, certification, and post-secondary bridge program to produce in-demand wastewater-professionals for this rural area.
Lead Applicant: San Diego Foundation
Statutory Partner: Environmental Health Coalition
Application Name: Rooted in Comunidad, Cultivating Equity: Brighting Just and Electric Transit, Health Homes and Opportunity to San Diego's Central Historic Barrios
Location: San Diego, California
TIA Category: Southern Border Communities (TIA E)
Summary: Focused on San Diego's historic central barrios, San Diego Foundation and the Environmental Health Coalition propose a holistic approach to improve local air quality, mitigate extreme heat, and expand green space. The project will improve residents' access to clean and safe transportation by expanding a free micro-transit shuttle service and electrifying regional buses. The project also will electrify homes, add energy storage, install air filters, and perform weatherization upgrades. The project will connect residents to clean energy job opportunities and apprenticeships in electrical and construction work.
Lead Applicant: City of Bakersfield
Statutory Partner: Building Healthy Communities in Kern
Application Name: Southeast Strong
Location: Bakersfield, California
Summary: The City of Bakersfield and Building Healthy Communities Kern will improve community connectivity in central and southeast Bakersfield by expanding residents' access to safe, clean, and convenient active transportation and public transit options. To reduce pollution and energy costs, they will fund energy efficiency retrofits at 30 single family residential units and retrofit another 60 homes with solar panels and battery technologies. They will convert a community center into a resilience hub by installing a microgrid. The project will provide 150 residents with training to install solar panels, repair electric vehicles, and enroll in electrician apprenticeships.
Lead Applicant: Coalition for Responsible Community Development
Statutory Partner: Los Angeles Trade-Technical College
Application Name: South LA All in Good Jobs Health Communities
Location: Los Angeles, California
Summary: The Coalition for Responsible Community Development and the Los Angeles Trade-Technical College will support workforce development in South Los Angeles along four career tracks to reduce pollution, including lead abatement in buildings; welding for clean energy and transportation projects; hybrid and electric vehicle maintenance; and weatherization and energy auditing of buildings. They will work with partners to recruit high-need individuals for workforce trainings and engage employers, public agencies, and community-based organizations to assist job seekers.
Lead Applicant: Day One
Statutory Partner: ActiveSGV
Application Name: GREEN (Green, Resilient, Energy Efficient Neighborhoods) San Gabriel Valley
Location: San Gabriel Valley, California
Summary: In California's San Gabriel Valley, Day One, Active San Gabriel Valley, and their partners will implement several projects informed by a decade of community-led work. They will mitigate extreme heat and build community resiliency by expanding tree canopy and greening schoolyards with rain gardens and native plants. They will improve transportation access by providing incentives for the purchase of e-bikes and installing related infrastructure. To reduce energy costs, they will install solar and energy storage systems at 30 homes and cool roofs on more than 20 homes. They also will install 60 public water stations to reduce single-use plastic pollution and ensure access to clean drinking water.
Lead Applicant: La Familia Counseling Center, Inc
Statutory Partner: Community Resource Project
Application Name: Greening North Franklin
Location: Sacramento, California
Summary: La Familia Counseling Center and Community Resource Project will implement several projects-identified through comprehensive neighborhood assessments and planning-to reduce pollution and building climate resilience in south Sacramento. They will develop a community resilience hub to serve as a cooling center during extreme heat events and provide services to meet community needs in an emergency. To reduce energy costs and pollution, the project will provide energy efficiency upgrades, install solar on qualifying homes, and provide workforce training in electrification, housing retrofits, and solar installation. The project also will create a public park in a neighborhood without green space.
Lead Applicant: National Housing Trust
Statutory Partner: D.C. Children's Law Center
Application Name: Empowering Healthy, Resilient, and Affordable Multifamily D.C. Communities Through Decarbonization and Healthy Housing Interventions
Location: Washington, District of Columbia
Summary: The National Housing Trust and D.C. Children's Law Center will retrofit 785 homes in multifamily buildings in Washington D.C. with a focus in the neighborhoods of Anacostia and Mt. Vernon Square-to improve indoor air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and lower energy costs for residents. They also will invest in a local workforce development to expand the number of contractors with skills and experience in multifamily housing retrofits.
Lead Applicant: City of Pocatello, Idaho
Statutory Partner: Portneuf Greenway Foundation
Application Name: City of Pocatello South 5th Ave. Complete Streets and Sewer Projects
Location: Pocatello, Idaho
Summary: The City of Pocatello and Portneuf Greenway Foundation plan to implement a series of projects to revitalize the city's South 5th Avenue corridor. They will invest in water infrastructure by installing sewer lines in unsewered neighborhoods and more than 50 drinking water stations. They plan to transform three miles of South 5th Avenue to existing green space. They also will expand tree canopy and invest in stormwater management at local parks.
Lead Applicant: Dillard University
Statutory Partner: United Way of Southeast Louisiana
Application Name: Building Climate Resiliency in Southeast Louisiana
Location: Southeast Louisiana
Summary: Dillard University and United Way of Southeast Louisiana will work in Orleans, St. Tammany, and Washington Parishes to reduce pollution and strengthen community resilience to natural disasters. They will improve transportation access by providing up to 300 families with e-bikes; expanding bike sharing programs; and installing EV chargers. They will retrofit several public buildings with energy efficient HVAC systems, solar, and energy storage so they can serve as community resilience hubs during emergencies. The university also will launch new non-degree certificate programs in clean energy and climate resilience.
Lead Applicant: City of Springfield, MA
Statutory Partner: Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts
Application Name: Green and Resilient Springfield
Location: Springfield, Massachusetts
Summary: The City of Springfield and the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts will support the transformation of a post-industrial city toward resilience with this multi-faceted project. They will invest in a community solar project; retrofit 30 one- to four-unit homes to reduce energy use and improve indoor air quality; and complete home rehabilitation projects to remove lead and other pollution hazards. They will convert two city-owned buildings to non-grid clean energy sources and expand their use as community resilience hubs and emergency shelter locations. They also will expand tree canopy by planting 1,500 trees; restart a city e-bikeshare program; support a workforce development program for HVAC-R technicians; and complete other activities.
Lead Applicant: Midwest Tribal Energy Resources Association, Inc. (MTERA)
Statutory Partner: GRID Alternatives
Application Name: Improving Tribal Access to Energy Efficiency and Weatherization Infrastructure for Midwest Tribes
Location: Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota
TIA Category: Tribes in the Continental United States (TIA B)
Summary: Midwest Tribal Energy Resources Association and GRID Alternatives will work with 35 federally recognized Tribes to support energy efficiency and weatherization upgrades in homes to improve indoor air quality and lower energy costs. They will invest in leadership development training for Tribal Energy Champions to build their Tribes' capacity to access additional funding sources and implement projects to strengthen climate resilience and reduce pollution.
Lead Applicant: The MetroHealth System
Statutory Partner: Community Housing Solutions
Application Name: Asthma, Indoor Air Pollution, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Summary: The MetroHealth System and Community 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.
Lead Applicant: Lane County Government
Statutory Partner: United Way of Lane County
Application Name: Lane County Transformation for Resiliency Through Equity and Engagement (Lane TREE)
Location: Lane County, Oregon
Summary: Lane County and United Way of Lane County will invest in six facilities to create a network of community resilience hubs to support residents during emergencies, such as wildfires and heat waves. They also will build the capacity of local organizations providing resilience services; train medical and non-medical volunteers to help in emergencies; and equip the hubs with adequate supplies. They will work to expand and improve the county's emergency response planning and implementation network to support an all-of-community response during and after a severe event. The project also will assess the feasibility of installing solar and energy storage on the resilience hubs.
Lead Applicant: Pittsburgh Conservation Corps
Statutory Partner: PowerCorpsPHL
Application Name: Leveraging a Pittsburgh/Philadelphia Workforce Development Partnership
Location: Pittsburgh/Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Summary: The Pittsburgh Conservation Corps and PowerCorpsPHL will work in disadvantaged neighborhoods in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia to expand and create critical infrastructure for upcycling and commercializing materials from urban tree waste. The project will offer workforce development and training for area residents to provide career pathways in land stewardship services and wood products.
Lead Applicant: Trust for Public Land
Statutory Partner: City of Chattanooga
Application Name: Clifton Hills Alton Park Thread Trail
Location: Chattanooga, Tennessee
Summary: The Trust for Public Land and the City of Chattanooga will develop a 2.6-mile trail system in south Chattanooga, expand greenspace and tree canopy, and improve stormwater and floodplain management using nature-based solutions. This project, first identified as a community priority in 2002, will help transform and reconnect three disadvantaged communities that have been isolated by railroads, highways, and other barriers. More than 3,800 individuals live within a half mile of the trail.
Lead Applicant: City of Houston
Statutory Partner: Black United Fund of Texas (BUFTX)
Application Name: Vulnerable to Vibrant: Power for Change
Location: Houston, Texas
Summary: The Houston Health Department and Black United Fund of Texas (BUFTX) will focus on Houston's Greater Fifth Ward and Kashmere Garden communities. The project will invest in a community solar energy system to support long term resilience and expand solar workforce development. The project will also 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.
Lead Applicant: Gonzaga Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment
Statutory Partner: Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners (SNAP)
Application Name: Spokane Climate Resilience Project
Location: Spokane, Washington
Summary: The Gonzaga Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment and Spokane and Neighborhood Action Partners (SNAP) will work with disadvantaged Spokane communities to reduce indoor air pollution and energy costs by retrofitting hundreds of homes with heat pumps and high-quality air filtration systems. They will build the capacity of five community resilience hubs by installing microgrid infrastructure, establishing the Spokane Community Resilience Network, and expanding participation in the Gonzaga climate planning certificate program. They also will establish a fund to support community organizations' work to strengthen Spokane's climate resilience and mitigate location pollution.
Track II
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 facilitate individual and community participation in governmental decision-making processes are:
Lead Applicant: Insight Garden Program
Statutory Partner: Ella Baker Center for Human Rights
Application Name: Environmental and Climate Justice in Prison and Reentry Communities
Location: Multiple Locations in California
Summary: The Insight Garden Program works closely with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to provide nature-based programming and skills development to help transform incarcerated individuals' lives and support their successful reentry. This project will engage up to 1,350 individuals in California prisons and reentry communities to learn more about the unique environmental and climate justice challenges faced by these communities-such the impact of dangerous heat waves on populations housed in aging facilities without adequate cooling or ventilation-and identify potential solutions. The project will also establish a statewide Environmental Advisory Board to educate policymakers about these challenges and develop policy recommendations to improve conditions.
Lead Applicant: Special Service for Groups, Inc.
Statutory Partner: Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE)
Application Name: Mobilizing Youth Advocates for Resilient Communities (MYARC) Program
Location: Los Angeles, California
Summary: Special Service for Groups, Inc. and Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment will deliver 27 modules of educational content to youth in California's San Gabriel Valley. The curriculum blends leadership training, community engagement, and practical experience to enable participants to meaningfully participate in decision-making processes that affect their communities. The project will identify opportunities for youth to engage with and learn from local governmental officials on environmental and climate issues.
Lead Applicant: Bronx River Alliance, Inc.
Statutory Partner: Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice
Application Name: Uplifting Bronx Voices for Climate Change Resilience
Location: Bronx County, New York
Summary: The Bronx River Alliance and Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice will convene a Bronx Climate Justice Task Force to speak with a coordinated voice to decisionmakers that are shaping the future of climate resiliency in the Bronx. The project will ensure disadvantaged communities in the Bronx fully participate in planning and implementation decisions about coastal adaptation, habitat restoration, and related local, state, and federal infrastructure projects.
Lead Applicant: The Trust for Public Land
Statutory Partner: See You At The Top
Application Name: Building Democratic Systems for a Climate Resilient Cleveland
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Summary: Trust for Public Land and See 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.