Washington state doles out $14 million of CCA revenue to orgs, tribes – Washington Examiner
The Washington State Department of Health has allocated $14 million in grant money derived from Climate Commitment Act revenue to support 41 community organizations and tribes. This funding is distributed through two programs: $750,000 from the Community Capacity Grant Program under the Climate and Health Adaptation Initiative (CHAI) and the remaining funds from the Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Capacity Grant program. The CHAI program is designed to assist communities with existing climate change action plans that require additional resources for implementation. In contrast, HEAL aims to address environmental and health disparities, particularly for communities most affected by environmental hazards.
Qualified recipients of HEAL grants include Native Nations, urban and rural communities, as well as individuals from homeless, disabled, and LGBTQ backgrounds. DOH representatives emphasized the importance of placing frontline communities at the forefront of climate justice initiatives, fostering projects that reflect community voices and experiences. Notable organizations receiving HEAL grants include African Community Housing & Development, Alimentando al Pueblo, and Asians for Collective Liberation.
Washington state doles out $14 million of CCA revenue to orgs, tribes
(The Center Square) – The Washington State Department of Health has announced that $14 million of grant money from Climate Commitment Act revenue has been awarded to 41 different community organizations and tribes.
The $14 million in grant money has been awarded under two separate programs: $750,000 from the Climate and Health Adaptation Initiative (CHAI) Community Capacity Grant Program and the remainder from the Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Capacity Grant program.
CHAI is meant to provided funding for “communities across Washington state who have climate change-related action plans but may need additional resources or capacity to implement those plans.” HEAL was enacted in 2021 to “reduce environmental and health disparities and improve the health of all people in Washington state” by funding “communities most impacted by environmental hazards with necessary resources needed to collaborate with state agencies on environmental health decisions.”
According to DOH, entities that qualify for HEAL grants include:
Native Nations
Urban natives
Rural communities
Homeless
Disabled
LGBTQ
Other communities “most vulnerable to climate impacts”
In a press release statement, DOH Environmental Public Health Assistant Secretary Lauren Jenks said that “through the Climate Commitment Act, we are putting frontline communities at the heart of our climate justice initiatives. By funding projects that prioritize the voices and experiences within communities, we are addressing immediate environmental and health impacts related to climate change while also building lasting relationships based on trust and mutual respect.”
Among the entities to receive HEAL grants include:
African Community Housing & Development
Alimentando al Pueblo
Asians for Collective Liberation
Asia Pacific Cultural Center*
Latino Community Fund of Washington
Latinos en Spokane
Mother Africa
Na’ah Illahee Fund
Nuestras Raices Centro Comunitario
Pacific Islander Health Board of Washington
Southwest Washington Regional Health Alliance/Southwest Washington
Surge Reproductive Justice
According to the DOH, “Funds may not be used for publicity or propaganda purposes designed to influence legislation, nor can they be used for the salary or expenses of any grant or contract recipient related to activities influencing legislation, appropriations, regulation, administrative actions, or Executive orders.”
However, a DOH spokesperson wrote in an email to The Center Square that “HEAL grantees are not required to segregate grant money that can be legally used for political advocacy. The HEAL capacity grant does not require proof of all expenditures but does require grantees to submit a detailed statement of work, and payment is delivered upon proof of completion of the stated work. CHAI grantees are also reimbursed for work performed based on project progress and agreed upon contracted deliverables.”
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