Biden-Harris Administration Announces $500,000 for Environmental Justice Projects in Communities In the District of Columbia as Part of Investing in America Agenda
WASHINGTON (Oct. 24, 2023) —The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $500,000 to fund the National Housing Trust today for projects that advance environmental justice as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.
The National Housing Trust, which EPA has selected through its Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving Cooperative Agreement will use the funds to reduce childhood asthma by improving indoor air quality in affordable multi-family housing in communities that have historically suffered from underinvestment, in alignment with the Biden-Harris administration’s Justice40 Initiative.
Thanks to President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act this funding is a part the largest investment ever announced under this longstanding EPA program. This is the first in a series of environmental justice grant announcements the agency will announce before the end of the year.
“No President has invested more in environmental justice than President Biden, and under his leadership we’re removing longstanding barriers and meaningfully collaborating with communities to build a healthier future for all,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Together, these community-driven projects will improve the health, equity, and resilience of communities while setting a blueprint for local solutions that can be applied across the nation.”
“This funding to D.C. is another example of how the Biden-Harris Administration is investing in our most vulnerable places and the governments that serve them,” said EPA Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. “Everyone deserves a future with clean water, climate resiliency, and most importantly – a government that has the best interest of its communities front of mind.”
"I am pleased $500,000 will be devoted to reducing childhood asthma thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration's Inflation Reduction Act," said Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton. "This grant, part of the largest investment ever announced under the Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving Program, will improve indoor air quality in affordable multi-family housing in D.C. communities, helping children and families in the nation's capital."
The grants announced today deliver on President Biden’s commitment to advance equity and justice throughout the United States. The grant program directly advances the President’s transformational Justice40 initiative to deliver 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
The Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving (EJCPS) Program
EPA’s EJCPS program provides financial assistance to eligible organizations working to address local environmental or public health issues in their communities. The program builds upon President Biden’s Executive Orders 13985 and 14008, creating a designation of funds exclusively for small nonprofit organizations, which are defined as having 5 or fewer full-time employees, thus ensuring that grant resources reach organizations of lower capacity that historically struggle to receive federal funding. Eleven of the organizations selected for EJCPS this year are small nonprofit organizations, receiving over $1.6 million in total.
Additional Background:
From day one of his administration, President Biden has made achieving environmental justice a top priority. And in August 2022, Congress passed, and President Biden signed, the Inflation Reduction Act into law, creating the largest investment in environmental and climate justice in U.S. history. EPA received $3 billion in appropriations to provide grants and technical assistance for activities advancing environmental and climate justice.
Under the Inflation Reduction Act, EPA has launched and expanded innovative programs to provide more support than ever before to communities that unjustly bear the burdens of environmental harm and pollution. This includes the $177 million for the creation of 16 Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTACs) to remove barriers to federal resources and help communities pursue funding opportunities like those made available through President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda. EPA has also launched and will award funds through the $550 million Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program before the end of 2023.
To learn more about environmental justice at EPA, visit: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice