98T33401

Description:
The purpose of this American Rescue Plan funded grant is to assist RAIN DC in creating the Care Resilience Hub: Making Hot Spaces Cool. The project will focus on urban heat interventions in the Mesa, Arizona Water Tower Improvement District, an underserved neighborhood battling intense heat and gentrification due to large-scale development from proposed green infrastructure projects.

Activities will include projects focused on designed shade rest stops placed in high traffic/low shade locations, a front yard beautification project that will provide shade trees, and outreach and engagement to help empower the community to build capacity. Two programs will be launched at the Resilience Hub. The Community Guardian Program will train neighbors through a series of monthly workshops to advocate for environmental justice solutions. A K-12 Summer Emergency Program will educate 250 youth on heat-health safety, cool routes, and positive behavioral choices, such as always carrying reusable water bottles. People with moderate-to-severe or uncontrolled asthma are more likely to be hospitalized from COVID-19. Air pollution may contribute to asthma. By addressing air pollution in CAA 103(B)(3) projects, the chances of severe illness from COVID-19 are reduced.

This agreement provides full federal funding in the amount of $75,000. Pre-award costs have been approved back to February 1, 2022. Refer to terms and conditions.

Activities:

Three activities will be simultaneously launched to capitalize synergies from past research, currently funded projects, and future development plans:
1) A demonstration project will result in four community designed shade rest stops strategically placed in high traffic/low shade amenity locations.
2) A demonstration and monitoring project, a front yard beautification project will provide shade trees on private property, culminating in data-driven cool corridors.
3) A demonstration, monitoring, and public education project, engaging and empowering residents throughout the transformation of Care Partnership, a trusted community center into a Resilience Hub, community-driven resilience incubator for emergency situations (heat waves, blackouts, wildfires), recovery from disasters (COVID), and capacity building.

Two programs will be launched at the Resilience Hub. The Community Guardian Program will train neighbors through a series of monthly workshops to advocate for environmental justice solutions. A K-12 Summer Emergency Program will educate 250 youth on heat-health safety, cool routes, and encourage positive behavioral choices, such as always carrying reusable water bottles. The main objective of Care Resilience Hub: Making Hot Spaces Cool is to develop and execute data-driven, community-inspired urban heat solutions and strengthen social infrastructure necessary to embrace green infrastructure/landscape level improvements while preserving an enduring place amid the cultural fabric of an evolving community.

Outcomes:
The expected outputs from this project are:
1) Plans for community shade spaces.
2) A guidebook/map for cooler spaces.
3) A teaching curriculum for K-12 students.

The expected outcomes are to educate the community on heat mitigation measures and to cool off underserved neighborhoods.

Subrecipient:
1) Subgrant to Catholic Charities for venue fees for workshops and advocacy training, providing office space/workstation for Urban Heat Fellow and Resilience Hub Specialist, permission fees for siting of rest stops in the neighborhood, food for advocacy convenings.
2) Subgrant to Arizona State University for weather station installation and monitoring, analysis of pre/post surveys, cool route optimization analysis, rest stop usage analysis.
3) RAIL CDC - advocacy training program development, community sponsorship development, employer benefits responsibility.
4) Stipend for two semesters ($2,500 each) for community/digital organizers.

Retail Arts Innovation & Livability Community Development Corporation

66.604 - Environmental Justice Small Grant Program

EPA Region 9: San Francisco [EPA - RO]

Mesa, Arizona United States

City-Wide

None

COVID-19 $75,000 (100%) percent of this Project Grant was funded by COVID-19 emergency acts including the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been extended from 12/31/22 to 12/31/23.