SNEP Opportunity to Advance Resilience (SOAR) Fund
The SNEP Opportunity to Advance Resilience (SOAR) Fund is a program developed in 2023 by EPA Region 1 designed to improve climate resiliency in disadvantaged communities throughout Southeast New England. Funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), SNEP is committed to investing at least $5 million in SNEP disadvantaged communities via the Fund by 2027.
For information on how SNEP is implementing IIJA funds, please visit IJA Implementation.
- Defining Disadvantaged Communities
- Map of SNEP DACs
- 2024 SOAR
- 2023 SOAR Awards
- Seeking Continued Community Input
Defining Disadvantaged Communities
Through an iterative process with regional programmatic partners, SNEP developed the following programmatic definition of disadvantaged communities as any community (identified at the block group or census tract-level, where specified) that meets at least one of the following criteria:
- Any census block group at or above the 90th percentile for any of EJScreen’s Supplemental Indexes when compared to the nation or state. The National Supplemental Demographic Index is an average of:
- Percent low-income;
- Percent limited English speaking;
- Percent less than high school education;
- Percent unemployed; and where data is available,
- Communities with low average life expectancy.
- Any census tract defined as disadvantaged in current and future iterations of the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool;
- Any current or future federally recognized Tribal Land; and
- Any census block that meets current and future state-level criteria for disadvantaged communities other than those included due to explicit consideration of race-based indicators.
This definition is reviewed annually by our Program and regional partners. For more information on the SNEP definition for disadvantaged communities, please visit the SNEP Equity Strategy.
Map of SNEP DACs
All communities in the SNEP region that meet this definition are identified in the following web application:
An interactive map identifying the areas that meet EPA’s definition for Disadvantaged Communities in the SNEP region can be found here.
2024 SOAR Fund
The application period for the 2024 SOAR Fund is open from March 1, 2024 through June 7, 2024. All applications must be submitted via grants.gov by 11:59PM EDT on June 7, 2024. For more information, please visit Funding Opportunities.
2023 SOAR Awards
In the first year of this Program, SNEP selected five grantees across Rhode Island and Southeast Massachusetts, representing $1.275M in direct investment in disadvantaged communities. Click here to view the full press release.
The following projects were selected for funding via the 2023 SOAR Fund RFP:
Engaging Environmental Justice Communities to Promote Urban Watershed Health and Equitable Access to Nature | $299,926 (Federal), $72,349 (Match)
Worcester, MA | Massachusetts Audubon Society
This project will conduct planning for green infrastructure interventions to reduce flooding predicted to continue to worsen due to climate change, which is a top priority for the City of Worcester as identified in its 2019 Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Plan, based on resident input and data analysis. In addition, building on this proposed work, Mass Audubon seeks to collaborate with community organizations, residents, and municipal departments to launch its Nature in the City initiative in Worcester. The aim of this statewide Mass Audubon program is to co-create city-wide approaches that surface shared concerns and develop a collective vision for green and open spaces with the common goal of increasing access to nature and promoting resident-identified needs, such as improving water quality, reducing flooding and heat islands, enhancing climate resilience, and restoring green spaces in urban settings.
Understanding Urban Flooding and Finding Community Solutions in Providence, RI | $300,000
City of Providence, RI
The City of Providence is committed to climate justice for frontline communities and plans to develop a community-informed study that models flood risk in disadvantaged communities and recommends proven mitigation strategies. This work will allow the City of Providence to effectively plan for community resilience and seek future funding to address urban flooding in the city’s most vulnerable neighborhoods. Under this project, the City will engage a contractor to 1) conduct an urban flooding mapping analysis of the disadvantaged communities most affected by recent flash flooding events; 2) collect and review recent studies on flooding and recommended mitigation strategies, including those on the Woonasquatucket River watershed, West River, and Pleasant Valley Parkway; 3) coordinate with community organizations to support a series of neighborhood meetings to understand the needs of residents in building a flood-resilient city; and 4) present a coordinated, prioritized approach to urban flood mitigation.
Climate & Change: Where Warren Meets the Water | $75,000
Warren, RI | East Bay Community Action Program *First-time applicant*
In response to rising sea levels that will inundate the Market Street neighborhood of Warren, RI, the Town of Warren has developed the “Market to Metacom” plan (funded previously by the SNEP Watershed Implementation Grants (SWIG) program) to relocate the neighborhood to higher ground. The Town and residents recognize the need for robust resident participation in this transformational process. This project supports outreach, communication, and engagement with residents; the development of a Safety and Climate Resilience Work Group; resident workshops addressing climate anxiety and residents’ experience with the ongoing changes; Community Health Worker support to access resources; and leadership development for residents who will participate in Town planning efforts and neighborhood organizations in a holistic approach that supports community resilience.
Rhode Island Advancing Resilience in Disadvantaged Communities | $300,000
East Providence, RI | Rhode Island Department of Health
The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) and the City of East Providence plan to re-designate Crescent Park Beach as a licensed swimmable beach for the residents of the Riverside neighborhood, the City, and the metropolitan region over a 3-year project period. After decades of work by several different levels of government and non-profit organizations, this project will see the return of public swimming to this beach after approximately a century of non-use due to water quality issues. RIDOH and the City of East Providence see this project as a significant environmental justice victory, and a way to celebrate the success of cleanup efforts in Narragansett Bay. The project will entail the construction of ADA compliant public restrooms at Crescent Park and the hiring of lifeguards at the beach to enable formal designation as a swimmable beach. These new restrooms will also benefit the community by enhancing the many public events held every year. The project offers several benefits to residents of Disadvantaged Communities and increases community and environmental resilience. The beach is easily accessible via the East Bay Bike Trail and public transit, making it a safe, family-friendly amenity available to residents region-wide. With the increase of harmful effects of climate change, this opportunity will allow for local residents to have a safe, outdoor recreational space to use during the summer months.
Westerly’s Resilient Riverfront Renewal | $300,000
Westerly, RI | Southern Rhode Island Conservation District
The Southern Rhode Island Conservation District plans to further implement the Resilient Riverfront Renewal project underway in Westerly, Rhode Island. Along the tidally influenced Pawcatuck River, in the business district of Main Street and surrounding disadvantaged communities, the project seeks to 1) improve the health of the watershed with nature-based solutions for stormwater quantity and quality; 2) promote safe community engagement with business services and the Pawcatuck River; 3) create long-term resiliency with assessment of vulnerabilities to sea level rise and climate change; and 4) engage disadvantaged community participants in workforce training and employment for the maintenance of nature-based solutions.
Seeking Continued Community Input
EPA-SNEP is releasing this funding opportunity as a Request for Proposals (RFP), instead of the Request for Proposals (RFA), which requires fewer forms with the initial proposal. EPA is interested in applicant feedback on the RFP process to inform future opportunities. If you have feedback on the application process or have suggestions on how to further increase the accessibility of future EPA-SNEP funding opportunities, please email your suggestions to [email protected] with "RFP Feedback" in the email heading.