Cooperative Agreement 00E03634

DESCRIPTION:THIS AGREEMENT PROVIDES FUNDING UNDER THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT (IRA). THE AGREEMENT PROVIDES FUNDING TO CITY OF MILWAUKEE. THE PROPOSED HEALTHY HOMES AND CITY OF MILWAUKEE'S ENVIRONMENTAL COLLABORATION OFFICE (ECO) NEIGHBORHOODS PROJECT SEEKS TO EXPAND AWARENESS OF AND ACCESS TO LOCAL AND STATEWIDE HOUSING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS AND FEDERAL FUNDING SOURCES THROUGH COLLABORATIVE OUTREACH AND MARKETING EFFORTS AND BY FUNDING ENERGY AUDITS FOR LOW INCOME RESIDENTS LIVING IN HISTORICALLY DISINVESTED NEIGHBORHOODS ON MILWAUKEE'S PREDOMINATELY AFRICAN AMERICAN NORTH SIDE IN THE 53210, 53216, 53208, 53206, 53209 AREAS, AND PREDOMINATELY LATINX SOUTH SIDE IN THE 53204, 53207, 53215, WHERE LACK OF ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE, HEALTHY, CLIMATE-RESILIENT HOUSING IS MOST PERVASIVE. WORKING WITH DIVERSE, COMMUNITY-BASED PARTNERS FROM ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH NON-PROFITS, FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT, THEY WILL USE GRASSROOTS EFFORTS TO DISTRIBUTE RESOURCE GUIDES WITH INFORMATION ABOUT COMMON HOME HEALTH ISSUES AND SMALL-SCALE EFFORTS RESIDENTS CAN TAKE TO ADDRESS THEM LIKE HOW TO PROPERLY CLEAN LEAD PAINT CHIPS, AS WELL AS LARGE-SCALE EFFORTS LIKE MAKING ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS THAT ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE. THIS WILL BE COMPLEMENTED BY A HOUSING PROGRAM SECTION, PROVIDING DESCRIPTIONS OF ALL THE HOUSING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS AND FUNDING SOURCES AVAILABLE, AND EMPHASIZING LOW-TO-NO COST SERVICES. THE PROGRAM GUIDES WILL BE DISTRIBUTED DIRECTLY TO RESIDENTS BY NEIGHBORHOOD-BASED, PAID AND VOLUNTEER OUTREACH SUPPORT STAFF THROUGH COMMUNITY EVENTS, NEIGHBORHOOD CANVASSING, ETC. THIS INFORMATION WILL ALSO BE SHARED BROADLY THROUGH BROADCAST AND SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING. $200,000 OF THE PROJECT AWARD WILL FUND ENERGY AUDITS FOR LOW INCOME HOMEOWNERS. THE AUDITS WILL IDENTIFY NECESSARY HOME REPAIRS, ENERGY IMPROVEMENTS, AND FINANCING OPPORTUNITIES. REFERRALS TO ADDITIONAL HOUSING RESOURCES WILL BE MADE AS NEEDED, PROVIDING HOMEOWNERS WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND TOOLS TO TAKE THE NEXT STEPS TOWARDS INCREASING THE HEALTH AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE OF THEIR HOMES.ACTIVITIES:THE ACTIVITIES INCLUDE: 1. RESILIENCE AMBASSADORS AND OUTREACH SUPPORT TEAMS: ONE RA WILL BE HIRED BY SHERMAN PARK COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION (SPCA) AND ANOTHER BY CLEAN WI (CW) TO PLAN AND FACILITATE THE PROJECT'S COMMUNITY OUTREACH EFFORTS ON THE NORTH SIDE IN YEAR ONE. BY YEAR TWO, CLEAN WI WILL HIRE ANOTHER BILINGUAL RA WHO WILL CONCENTRATE EFFORTS ON THE SOUTH SIDE. . RAS WILL BE TRAINED BY SPCA AND CW WITH SUPPORT FROM ECO STAFF TO EDUCATE RESIDENTS ON HEALTHY HOMES PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES. REGULAR TRAINING BY RAS WILL ONBOARD NEW AND UPDATE EXISTING OUTREACH SUPPORT STAFF ON PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES, ENSURING RESIDENTS ARE RECEIVING THE MOST CURRENT INFORMATION. 2. ECO NEIGHBORHOODS: SHERMAN PARK AND CENTURY CITY'S ECO NEIGHBORHOOD TEAMS WILL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE SUPPORT FROM ECO, SPCA, AND CW TO ENGAGE WITH THIS AND OTHER PROJECTS UNIQUE TO EACH GROUP. ECO WILL WORK WITH PROJECT PARTNERS TO CONNECT WITH RESIDENTS ON THE SOUTH SIDE AND ESTABLISH AT LEAST ONE NEW ECO NEIGHBORHOOD TEAM (ENT). ECO WILL FOLLOW THE ESTABLISHED PROCEDURES FOR ONBOARDING A NEW ENT AND WILL CONNECT THEM WITH AN RA FOR HEALTHY HOMES TRAINING AFTER THEY ARE FIRMLY ESTABLISHED. 3. ENERGY AUDITS AND RESOURCE REFERRALS: $200,000 OF THE PROJECT AWARD WILL FUND ENERGY AUDITS FOR LOW INCOME HOMEOWNERS AND WILL IDENTIFY ENERGY SAVING AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL AND AIR QUALITY HAZARDS IN THE HOME INCLUDING ASTHMA TRIGGERS. DURING RA'S HEALTHY HOMES OUTREACH, THEY WILL REFER HOMEOWNERS TO RELEVANT HOUSING PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES LIKE THE WEATHERIZATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM OR CHILDHOOD LEAD PREVENTION PROGRAM AS NEEDED BASED ON AN ELIGIBILITY SCREENING. RA'S WILL FOLLOW UP WITH THE HOMEOWNERS POST-AUDIT TO REFER THEM TO PROGRAMS THAT CAN FURTHER REDUCE THE COST OF THE IMPROVEMENTS AND SUPPORT A HEALTHIER HOME ENVIRONMENT. THEY WANT TO EN