TO: Mayor and City Council
THROUGH: Keith Stahley, City Manager
FROM: Brian D. Martin, PE, Public Works Director
SUBJECT:
title
Application for funding under the Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants Program issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Ward(s): All Wards
Councilor(s): All Councilors
Neighborhood(s): All Neighborhoods
Result Area(s): Natural Environment Stewardship; Safe and Healthy Community; Safe, Reliable and Efficient Infrastructure; Welcoming and Livable Community.
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SUMMARY:
summary
The City of Salem, in partnership with the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency (MWVCAA), intends to apply for $20 million from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grant Program. The funds will be used to create a resilience hub network ($12 million) and to improve energy efficiency in low-income housing, including providing portable heat pumps to multifamily residents ($8 million). The grant has no match requirement. All funds must be spent within three years.
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ISSUE:
Shall City Council authorize the City Manager to submit a grant application for the Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grant Program in partnership with the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency as statutory partner and, if successful, enter into an agreement with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to accept the funds?
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Authorize the City Manager to submit a grant application for the Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grant Program in partnership with the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency as statutory partner and, if successful, enter into an agreement with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to accept the funds.
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FACTS AND FINDINGS:
The EPA Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights has been allocated $2 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act to implement place-based, community-driven projects aimed at addressing climate change, reducing pollution, and strengthening disadvantaged communities.
The proposed scope of Salem’s grant application is focused on extreme weather resiliency and energy efficiency, with the primary benefits going towards disadvantaged communities and vulnerable populations.
Proposed Projects:
The City’s grant application will implement actions in two categories: Resilience Hubs and Energy Efficiency, as summarized below:
1. Resilience Hubs - $12 Million
The proposed project will establish resilience hubs, which are facilities that serve as community centers during non-emergency times and provide essential services and shelter during emergencies and severe weather.
• The proposed project will create a new resilience hub in Northeast Salem, The resilience hub will be operated by MWVCAA, enhancing its existing role in managing warming and cooling shelters.
• The proposed project will provide sub-awards to Community Based Organizations (CBOs) to retrofit their trusted spaces into resilience hubs. Developing a framework and educating CBOs on operating resilience hubs during emergencies is among the actions.
2. Energy Efficiency - $8 Million
The proposed project will provide energy efficiency upgrades for low-income housing.
• The proposed project will provide energy efficiency upgrades for low-income housing and will focus on improving solar and electrical systems for two Salem Housing Authority (SHA) properties:
o Englewood West and Southview Terrace will receive solar panel installations and electrical upgrades. SHA will fund additional measures to move these properties towards net zero energy; and
o Installing Ductless Mini Split heat pumps to 200 units.
• The proposed project will provide energy efficiency upgrades to the Navigation Center, which serves as a transitional shelter for unhoused individuals, which will undergo roof and exterior repairs followed by the installation of solar panels. Prior wiring upgrades complement these improvements.
• The proposed project will provide rebates for portable heat pumps to low-income residents in multi-family units lacking air conditioning. This action addresses a gap in existing programs that do not cover multi-family housing residents.
Grant funding includes programmatic support for administering the grant. There is no match requirement. Existing funding for the Navigation Center’s renovations will be replaced by this grant, thereby enhancing the center’s operating budget. Energy efficiency improvements will decrease long-term operational costs. Investments of grant funding at SHA properties will help meet net-zero goals in conjunction with other planned renovations.
BACKGROUND:
The Salem Climate Action Plan, accepted by City Council on February 14, 2022, outlines 183 strategies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving community resilience to climate change. The plan emphasizes the development of resilience hubs (Strategy CM07) and improving energy efficiency (Strategies EN12 and EN14). The Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grant Program offers a unique opportunity to accelerate the implementation of these goals by providing funding for catalyzing climate action and promoting environmental justice in disadvantaged communities. The proposed grant-funded projects, which focus on decreasing building energy consumption and creating a resilience hub network, will help advance the City's efforts toward resiliency, equity, and reducing climate pollution.
Robert D. Chandler, PhD, PE
Assistant Public Works Director
Attachments:
None.