EPA Announces $40 Million Grants for Environmental Justice Projects in the Mid-Atlantic Region

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Oct.11 announced the availability of $40 million in funding for environmental projects in the Mid-Atlantic region under the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking initiative. This initiative is a part of the Environmental and Climate Justice Program established by the Inflation Reduction Act, which allocated $3 billion for the program to provide financial and technical assistance for environmental and climate justice activities that benefit disadvantaged communities.

Last year, the EPA established the Green and Healthy Homes Initiative, or GHHI, to act as a grantmaker for the mid-Atlantic region, which includes Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. GHHI is designed to reduce climate inequality and injustice, where disadvantaged communities tend to suffer disproportionately negative impacts of climate change. Under this program, organizations and communities can apply for subgrants worth between $150,000 to $350,000 for community-led environmental projects. These subgrants can be either one or two-year awards.

In the past, GGHI has secured funding for a number of environmental projects from the EPA. Examples of past projects include a $100,000 award for a climate change education initiative to support efforts to educate Marylanders about climate change, actions to lower a household’s emissions, and resources to assist with climate action.

In December 2023, the Biden administration announced $600 million in funding to 11 grantmakers, including GHHI to support environmental justice projects across the U.S.

The Mid-Atlantic region Applicants can apply for one and two-year subgrants to fund community-level environmental projects. Applications for two-year grants are due by Nov. 30 and applications for one-year grants are due by early 2025.