The EPA has granted Gonzaga University a $19.9 million grant to assist in preparing Spokane and its most vulnerable citizens for the impending climate change problem.
The money will be used to update community centers to stave off harsh weather, refit hundreds of homes with heat pumps and superior air filtration systems, and carry out other climate resilience initiatives. The funding will be carried out in part by the Spokane Public Library, the City of Spokane, the Carl Maxey Center, and Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners, although the Gonzaga Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment serves as a pass-through for the funds.
The $19,904,367 award was revealed on Thursday morning and is a component of the $2 billion Inflation Reduction Act, which President Joe Biden will sign into law in 2022. The Spokane initiative is one of 21 nationwide projects relating to climate change that have been announced and are being funded by legislation.
“These two organizations collaborated to explore ways to lower indoor air pollution and energy expenses for underprivileged, low-income communities. The outcome of their efforts was the creation of a proposal that will see the installation of hundreds of new heat pumps and superior air filtration systems throughout the Spokane area,” said EPA Regional Administrator Casey Sixkiller.
According to Brian G. Henning, director of the Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment, the grant is the biggest in Gonzaga’s history.
He remarked, “We at the Gonzaga Climate Institute are just so thrilled to be getting the major federal resources to be able to advance climate resilience in our community.”
About $8 million of the grant is designated for SNAP, which will install new heating pumps and air filtration systems in 300 Spokane homes for free. These upgrades will provide these households more reliable heating and cooling as well as maintaining clean air in the home during smoke season. The organization will also install an air quality monitor.
The purpose of these monies is not to address the climate catastrophe directly. Instead, Spokane will utilize the grant money to assist in becoming more resilient to increasingly harsh weather.
“We live in a time of changing climates, and as that issue worsens, certain Spokane residents are disproportionately impacted. Communities will benefit from this funding as they adjust,” Henning added.
“We can’t just adapt our way out of this problem,” he continued, adding that while Spokane must get ready for the effects of the climate disaster, the general public and policy makers must also understand this.
These enhancements will be available to families whose income is less than 200% of the federal poverty threshold. If the homeowners paid for the upgrades themselves, the approximate cost per home would be $21,000.
John Hoover, the director of housing services for SNAP, expressed his “unconditional happiness” at the EPA’s approval of the award.
“People who are unable to improve their own lives and communities that have suffered harm are the beneficiaries of these money. Just take a look at the last two weeks, and it’s clear that 300 households want assistance because they are suffering from extreme heat and smoke,” stated Hoover.
In order to upgrade the infrastructure of already-existing city-owned facilities, an additional $8 million will be granted to the City of Spokane and the Spokane Public Library. During periods of extreme weather, these homes will serve as gathering spots. The buildings have been upgraded with solar panels and battery backups to put them on their own microgrid.
The West Central Community Center, Northeast Community Center, Central Public Library, and Liberty Park Library are among the city structures that will receive upgrades. A further allocation of $900,000 will be made to the Carl Maxey Center for the same enhancements.
Executive Director Andrew Chanse of the Spokane Public Library stated in a statement, “We have seen our community turn to the Library as a safe space as a climate resiliency center time and time again in extreme cold, heat, smoke, and windstorms.”
“This grant will enable us to give our vulnerable populations even more support by strengthening the resilience of our infrastructure and community.”
In a statement, Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown stated that her administration’s top goal is “building climate resiliency.”
In order to implement eight measures that are in line with our Sustainability Action Plan, the Spokane Climate Resilience Project has gathered strong partners. According to the spokesperson, “EPA grant funding will go a long way toward implementing these strategies to keep community members safe during extreme weather.”
A further $2.7 million has been set aside for the Gonzaga Climate Institute’s “Community Climate Action Fund.” Minigrants from this fund will be given to neighborhood groups engaged in climate resilience initiatives. Nine Spokane residents will also be able to enroll in Gonzaga’s climate action planning certificate program on a scholarship thanks to additional funding.
Gonzaga’s climate resilience program manager, Dante Jester, stated, “We really hope that this will be an opportunity to empower the organizations in Spokane that are already doing really great work and just enable them to continue and expand that work.”
“This is precisely the kind of support and resources our local partners need to cut down on pollution and make sure our communities are climate ready,” stated Senator Patty Murray in a release.
As climate change increases the frequency of catastrophic weather, Sixkiller said these adaptations are essential to ensuring the safety of Spokane citizens.
“The Spokane region and the Pacific Northwest as a whole are undoubtedly experiencing extremely rapid change, especially in relation to extreme weather patterns. Regretfully, this is particularly true when it comes to the frequent effects of wildfire smoke, whether they originate in Canada or just nearby Spokane.
The program was hailed by Sixkiller as “incredibly compelling” and as an illustration of a “filter-up approach” as opposed to a top-down mandate.
“Now that President Biden has championed the Inflation Reduction Act, we have an entirely new program to assist in addressing those requirements. The largest investment in environmental and climate justice in the history of our country, the $2 billion award program is being mentioned by the speaker.
