Project Grant 02F09701

DESCRIPTION: ICAST'S PROPOSED CREATING ENERGY EFFICIENT AND HEALTHY HOMES IN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITIES PROJECT WILL PROVIDE EDUCATION AND ASSESSMENTS FOR SMALL BUSINESS MFAH PROPERTY OWNERS TO TEACH THEM THE BENEFITS OF EE/WC MEASURES AND ACCESS RESOURCES TO IMPLEMENT THEM. ICAST WILL TARGET ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE (EJ) COMMUNITIES IN BOTH RURAL AND URBAN NEW MEXICO WHICH HAVE MFAH PROPERTIES IN POOR CONDITION THAT WOULD BENEFIT FROM EE/WC UPGRADES. WE WILL UTILIZE OUR INNOVATIVE ONE-STOP-SHOP (OSS) APPROACH, WHICH OFFERS MFAH BUSINESS OWNERS EVERYTHING THEY NEED TO IMPLEMENT HEALTHY, EE/WC UPGRADES FROM EDUCATION AND PROPERTY ASSESSMENTS TO FINANCING ASSISTANCE AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT. OUR UNIQUE OSS APPROACH HELPS REDUCE THE BARRIERS MANY MFAH BUSINESSES ENCOUNTER WHEN UPGRADING THEIR PROPERTIES AND ENCOURAGES OWNERS TO IMPLEMENT IMPROVEMENTS. ACTIVITIES: ICAST (INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR APPROPRIATE AND SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY) IS A NATIONAL 501(C)(3) NONPROFIT WITH A 20-YEAR HISTORY OF DESIGNING AND LAUNCHING PROGRAMS THAT MEANINGFULLY IMPACT LOW-TO-MODERATE INCOME (LMI) COMMUNITIES BY ADVANCING THEIR ACCESS TO CLEAN ENERGY AND HEALTHY, AFFORDABLE HOUSING. ICAST'S PROPOSED PROJECT, CREATING ENERGY EFFICIENT AND HEALTHY HOMES IN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITIES, WILL PROVIDE OUTREACH, EDUCATION, AND PROPERTY ASSESSMENTS TO MULTIFAMILY AFFORDABLE HOUSING (MFAH) BUSINESS OWNERS TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND THE BENEFITS OF AND FUNDING AVAILABLE TO IMPLEMENT HEALTH AND SAFETY (HANDS), ENERGY EFFICIENCY (EE), AND WATER CONSERVATION (WC) MEASURES AT THEIR PROPERTIES. OUR PROPOSED PROJECT IS ALIGNED WITH THE POLLUTION PREVENTION AREA OF EPA'S HEALTHY ENVIRONMENTAL LIVING PROGRAM (HELP) AS MANY OF THESE SMALL BUSINESSES LACK THE KNOWLEDGE AND RESOURCES NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT SOURCE REDUCTION PRACTICES (E.G. EE/WC). OUTCOMES: OUTPUTS: THE PROPOSED PROJECT'S OUTREACH, EDUCATION, ASSESSMENTS, AND COMMITMENTS TO EE/WC AND HANDS UPGRADES FROM MFAH OWNERS WILL RESULT IN OVERALL GHG REDUCTIONS, REDUCED RELIANCE ON FOSSIL FUELS, AND NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION VIA IMPROVEMENTS TO THE MFAH PROPERTIES' EFFICIENCIES. ICAST'S EFFORTS WILL RESULT IN IMPROVED LIVING CONDITIONS FROM BETTER IAQ AND HANDS MEASURES FOR MFAH RESIDENTS IN EJ COMMUNITIES, AND UTILITY AND HEALTHCARE COST SAVINGS FROM LOWER ENERGY BILLS AND LESS HEALTH TRIGGERS. OUTCOMES: ICAST ENVISIONS THE PROPOSED PROJECT BUILDS LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS WITH MFAH BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS IN EJ AND DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES. THE PROJECT WILL ENCOURAGE A HIGHER LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION IN EE/WC AND HANDS PROGRAMS THAT MFAH OWNERS AND COMMUNITY RESIDENTS MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE HAVE HAD THE KNOWLEDGE OR RESOURCES TO ACCESS. ICAST EXPECTS ITS PROPOSED CREATING ENERGY EFFICIENT AND HEALTHY HOMES IN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITIES PROJECT WILL ENCOURAGE OWNERS TO PERFORM RETROFITS FOR LEAST 1,000 LMI HOUSEHOLDS IN DISADVANTAGED AND EJ COMMUNITIES. THESE RETROFITS WILL IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF 2,500 INDIVIDUALS AND SAVE 2,021,708 KWH IN ELECTRICITY, RESULTING IN 1,579 TONS OF REDUCED GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS (GHG). SUBRECIPIENT: NO SUBAWARDS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT.