Project Grant 96711901

This $500,000 Project Grant award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving (EJCPS) Cooperative Agreement Program will support Bridging The Gap, Inc., a non-profit organization in Kansas City, Missouri, in implementing a Community Resiliency Investment Project.

The key elements of the project include conducting public education, performing energy, environmental health, and household carbon footprint assessments, creating a local Environmental Justice Advisory Council (EJAC) to work with residents, and partnering with stakeholders to implement learned practices. The project aims to address high carbon emissions in homes of underserved residents and urban heat island impacts, which contribute to poor air quality. The subawardee, Black Health Care Coalition, will support the project by educating residents on indoor air quality, outdoor air, climate resiliency, and the impact of carbon emissions and utility burdens. The anticipated outcomes include recruiting residents for the EJAC, creating a utility burden reduction program, and implementing the Community Resiliency Investment Program to demonstrate improvements in energy efficiency and residential health.