The agency says the program is designed to be more accessible to smaller and underresourced communities.
A new federal grant program dubbed Community Change Grants is making roughly $2 billion in funding available to communities for projects that address environmental justice, reports Ysabelle Kempe in Smart Cities Dive.
The program seeks to address criticism that climate funding is “difficult to access” for underresourced communities through technical assistance and a rolling application process.
“The grants can be used to support a wide range of efforts, the EPA said, including workforce development, indoor air pollution reduction and deployment of low- and zero-emissions technologies.” The grants are open to local governments and nonprofit organizations.
The EPA says it used public input to craft the program based on the needs of smaller communities and organizations. “The oral presentation opportunity, for example, is a new format ‘responsive to community requests to engage with EPA in more accessible ways,’ the agency said.”
FULL STORY: EPA announces $2B for local environmental justice projects
Court Bars EPA Probes in Louisiana’s ‘Cancer Alley’
A federal court ruling effectively prevents the Environmental Protection Agency from pursuing civil rights claims in one of the nation’s most polluted regions.
Judge Halts EPA Action in ‘Cancer Alley’ Civil Rights Case
EPA investigations into violations of the Civil Rights Act in Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley” were ruled as “federal overreach.”
The EPA's Lackluster Environmental Justice Record
The Center for Public Integrity has released a report criticizing the EPA's environmental justice competence. In only 12 cases has the agency taken official action on behalf of communities affected disproportionately by polluters.
Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units
Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Four Reasons Urban Planners Can’t Ignore AI
It’s no longer a question of whether AI will shape planning, but how. That how is up to us.
Bend, Deschutes County Move to Restrict Major Homeless Encampment
City and county officials are closing off portions of an area known as Juniper Ridge where many unhoused residents find shelter, hoping to direct people to housing and supportive services.
High Housing Costs Driving Down Transit Ridership in LA
When neighborhoods gentrify and displace lower-income residents, transit ridership suffers, new research shows.
Iowa Legalizes Accessory Dwelling Units
A new law will allow property owners to build ADUs on single-family lots starting on July 1.
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