Project Grant 00E03627

DESCRIPTION:THIS AGREEMENT PROVIDES FUNDING UNDER THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT (IRA) TO ENFOCUS INC. THE RECIPIENT WILL PARTNER WITH STRATEGIC COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS TO ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL INEQUALITY IN FIVE OF SOUTH BEND'S HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED NEIGHBORHOODS - KENNEDY PARK, NEAR WESTSIDE, NORTHWEST, WESTSIDE, AND LASALLE PARK. GRANT FUNDS WILL BE USED TO COMPLETE TWO OBJECTIVES. FIRST, ENFOCUS WILL ENGAGE AND ENROLL RESIDENTS INTO THE GREENER HOMES INITIATIVE AND UPSKILLSB CLIMATE ACTION PROGRAM. THIS INITIATIVE EMPOWERS RESIDENTS TO MAKE GAINS TOWARD CLIMATE JUSTICE BY PROMOTING ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND CONSERVATION IN THEIR HOMES AND OFFERING GREEN WORKFORCE TRAINING AND CERTIFICATIONS. SECOND, ENFOCUS WILL DESIGN AND EXECUTE A TREE-PLANTING INITIATIVE. THIS INITIATIVE WILL BE TARGETED TO INCREASE SOUTH BEND'S URBAN TREE CANOPY (UTC) IN HISTORICALLY DISADVANTAGED AREAS MOST LIKELY TO BE AFFECTED BY EXTREME HEAT, POOR AIR QUALITY, AND STORMWATER FLOODING. OUR PARTNERS FOR THIS PROJECT INCLUDE: #9679; THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND: INCLUDING THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY INVESTMENT (DCI) AND ITS OFFICES OF SUSTAINABILITY (OOS), WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND ENGAGEMENT AND ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT (EEE), DEPARTMENT OF VENUES, PARKS, AND ARTS (VPA)'S FORESTRY DIVISION, AND DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS. #9679; REGIONAL ENTITIES: INCLUDING MICHIANA AREA COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS (MACOG, GOVERNMENT), SAINT JOSEPH RIVER BASIN COMMISSION (SJRBC, GOVERNMENT) #9679; COMMUNITY GROUPS: NEIGHBORHOOD CONSORTIUM (NC) #9679; ACADEMIA: INCLUDING THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME'S CENTER FOR COMMUNITY INNOVATION (ND-CCI), GLOBAL ADAPTATION INITIATIVE (ND-GAIN), ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE INITIATIVE (ND-ECI), AND OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY (ND-OOS), AND INDIANA UNIVERSITY SOUTH BEND CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE FUTURE (IUSB-CFSF) #9679; NON-PROFIT: NCLOUD, SHIRLEY HEINZE LAND TRUST (SHLT) .ACTIVITIES:THE ACTIVITIES INCLUDE ESTABLISHING AND EXECUTING A GREEN EMPOWERMENT TEAM TO IMPROVE HOUSEHOLD ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, ENFOCUS WILL ENGAGE AND ENROLL RESIDENTS INTO THE GREENER HOMES INITIATIVE AND UPSKILLSB CLIMATE ACTION PROGRAM. THESE TWO PROGRAMS' PURPOSE IS TO PROVIDE EQUITABLE FINANCING FOR RESIDENTIAL ENERGY EQUIPMENT UPGRADES AND MITIGATE BARRIERS FOR GREEN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, RESPECTIVELY. OBJECTIVE 1: ENGAGE AND ENROLL RESIDENTS INTO THE GREENER HOMES INITIATIVE AND UPSKILLSB CLIMATE ACTION PROGRAM IN 4 PHASES: PHASE 1 - TEAM DEVELOPMENT AND ENGAGEMENT PLANNING: PHASE 2 - COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PHASE 3 - ENROLLMENT: PHASE 4 - EVALUATION AND SHARING OBJECTIVE 2: DESIGN AND EXECUTE A TREE-PLANTING INITIATIVE PHASE 1: IMPLEMENTATION PLANNING PHASE 2: PILOT EXECUTION PHASE 3: ITERATION AND SCALED IMPLEMENTATION PHASE 4 - EVALUATION AND SHARINGSUBRECIPIENT:ND-CCI WILL BE FUNDED TO HAVE A SUMMER INTERN TEAM AND PROGRAM MANAGER TO IMPLEMENT THE TREE PLANTING INITIATIVE IN OBJECT 1, AND TO HAVE CAPSTONE PROJECTS RELATING TO THE GOALS FOR OBJECTIVE 2 FOR NOTRE DAME'S CCI AND ENGINEERING STUDENTS. SUBAWARD FUNDS WILL ALSO GO TO VENUE RESERVATION FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS AT ND.OUTCOMES:THE ANTICIPATED DELIVERABLES INCLUDE : THE FORESTRY TEMPORARY WORKERS PLANTING 1,600 TREES IN PERMANENT PUBLIC OR RESIDENTIAL LOCATIONS, THE VOLUNTEER CORPS PLANTING 830 TREES IN AVAILABLE NATIVE TREE NURSERIES, AND AN EXTERNAL CONTRACTOR PLANTING 150 TREES, IT'S EXPECTED THAT 2,580 TREES WILL BE PLANTED DURING PHASE 4 OF THE PROJECT. THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES INCLUDE: #9679; ENABLING LOW AND MODERATE INCOME HOUSEHOLDS TO FINANCE ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT UPGRADES AND HOME RETROFITS ULTIMATELY RESULTING IN SOLAR POWER #9679; PLANTING 140,000 TREES BY 2050 #9679; UPSKILLING RESIDENTS VIA IN-DEMAND TRAINING FOR GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATIONS, SOLAR INSTALLATION, AND HP/HVAC INSTALLATION FUNDS FROM THIS GRANT WILL DIRECTLY ASSIST THE COSB IN EXECUTING THE ENERGY GOALS OUTLINED IN