This agreement provides funding under the inflation reduction act (IRA) to west harlem environmental action, INC

Specifically, the project will ensure that disadvantaged communities' perspectives, priorities, and solutions are significantly represented in new york city's (NYC) environmental justice (EJ) planning, through a citywide community engagement and planning process. In this project, west harlem environmental action, INC and project partners will conduct a series of facilitated community conversations throughout neighborhoods with environmental justice concerns across NYC's five boroughs, using the findings of the ejnyc report to set the stage for collecting community input and supporting community-led projects on environmental justice solutions and priorities; synthesize community input into a set of recommendations highlighting both citywide and neighborhood-level priorities and solution; identify areas to integrate planning recommendations across city-led initiatives; and carrying out a citywide communications push in conjunction with the finalization of the community-driven recommendations, in order to raise communities' awareness of the proposed solutions, and create strategies to CO-develop implementation pathways with stakeholders. Activities:the activities include: (1) assembling a citywide steering committee composed of community-based organizations rooted in neighborhoods with environmental justice concerns, which will collaborate with mocej to ensure consensus on our outreach plan, methodology for facilitation and community input gathering and the final set of recommendations; (2) conducting monthly steering committee meetings to provide oversight and input on technical assistance, community engagement, and outreach; (3) conducting 4-8 input gathering sessions per borough; (4) designing facilitator guides and idea collection protocols for all community input sessions; (5) developing popular education materials to incorporate into input sessions to ensure community members have a full understanding of the findings of the ejnyc report; (6) conducting facilitator and notetaker training with all community organizations that will be hosting input gathering sessions; (7) developing a set of recommendations for the key focus areas of the EJ plan; (8) conducting at least one 'report back' session per borough; (9) working with mocej and the steering committee, develop messaging and materials highlighting the ejnyc report, the recommendations developed during this project, and the forthcoming plan - to raise awareness of this initiative, its potential to positively impact neighborhoods with EJ concerns, and how community members can get involved in ensuring its success; (10) carrying out a messaging campaign targeting NYC EJ communities, EJ groups and allied groups, and city decisionmakers along with other key stakeholders; and (11) raising awareness about the ejnyc report using concise, compelling versions of report materials. Subrecipient:subaward activities include the following: pratt center for community development will design the community engagement methodology, and develop the final recommendation report, both in conjunction with the steering committee. Association for neighborhood and housing development (anhd) will help facilitate the steering committee (jointly with we act) and provide support and technical assistance to neighborhood-based organizations on hosting community engagement sessions. Borough-level outreach partners are anhd, neighborhood housing services of brooklyn, make the road new york, neighborhoods for a sustainable future, eastern queens alliance, and red hook initiative.outcomes:the anticipated deliverables include a steering committee of 10-15 cbos citywide; an outreach and community engagement plan; facilitator guides and input gathering protocols translated into key languages that predominate in neighborhoods with EJ concern