EPA Press Office:

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $20 Million Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grant to District of Columbia Organizations

PHILADELPHIA — (July 25, 2024) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $20 million in funding for District of Columbia organizations 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. The funding announcement today is the first tranche of nearly $2 billion from the program that was designed based on community input to award grants on a rolling basis.

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 local workforce development to expand the number of contractors with skills and experience in multifamily housing retrofits.

“Our ability to deliver tangible results for communities depends on listening to them and developing innovative solutions through inclusive stakeholder engagement,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Today, thanks to President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, EPA has selected the first cohort of community partnerships to solve emerging and longstanding environmental and climate justice challenges.”

“This funding will help improve the quality of life for District residents by improving air quality and reducing energy costs,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. “It further demonstrates the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to addressing the global challenge of climate change at the local community level.”   

These selections are among the first to come under the Community Change Grants Program’s rolling application process which is informed by robust stakeholder engagement and community feedback. The innovative rolling application process will ensure that applicants have ample time to prepare and take advantage of this historic resource.

The Community Change Grants Program Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), administered through EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, is still accepting applications through November 21, 2024. EPA will continue to review applications and announce selections on a rolling basis. 

The Inflation Reduction Act provides $2 billion to EPA to award grants that help disadvantaged communities and offer technical assistance. With these grants, EPA is delivering on this mission.

The Community Change Grants also deliver on President Biden’s commitment to advance equity and justice throughout the United States through his Justice40 Initiative to ensure that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments go to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.

The Community Change Grants Program is still accepting applications through November 21, 2024, so EPA encourages applicants to submit applications as soon as they completely meet the NOFO requirements.  EPA will be making additional selections on a rolling basis for the remainder of 2024. EPA also encourages interested applicants to apply for technical assistance as soon as possible, as the last day to request new technical assistance is August 16, 2024.

Read the Community Change Grants NOFO here: https://www.epa.gov/inflation-reduction-act/inflation-reduction-act-community-change-grants-program.

To learn more about the Community Change Grants and Technical Assistance: https://www.epa.gov/inflation-reduction-act/inflation-reduction-act-community-change-grants-program.

To learn more about environmental justice at EPA, visit: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice.

For up-to-date information about the NOFO, including information on the webinars, subscribe to the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights’ listserv by sending a blank email to: join-epa-ej@lists.epa.gov. Follow us on X (formerly Twitter): @EPAEnvJustice.

For further information: R3press@epa.gov