Green Umbrella

DESCRIPTION:THE GOALS OF THIS PROJECT ARE TO 1) INVESTIGATE HOW ELECTRIFYING AND WEATHERIZING HOMES REDUCES ENERGY USAGE, WHILE PROVIDING ENERGY SECURITY, AMELIORATING THE INDOOR AIR QUALITY OF RESIDENTIAL DWELLINGS, AND IMPROVING COMFORT AND PRODUCTIVITY OF OCCUPANTS; AND 2) IDENTIFY THE BARRIERS TO ADOPTING ELECTRIFICATION AND WEATHERIZATION IN LOW-INCOME HOMES. ACTIVITIES:THE PROJECT WILL FOCUS ON THE TRI-STATE, TEN COUNTY AREA OF GREATER CINCINNATI AND WILL: 1) ANALYZE THE EFFECTS OF COMBINED ELECTRIFICATION AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY, AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY ALONE, ON HOUSEHOLD ENERGY CONSUMPTION, SECURITY, AND BEHAVIOR IN LOW-INCOME MULTIFAMILY DWELLING UNITS; 2) ESTIMATE THE BENEFITS OF ELECTRIFICATION AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY TECHNOLOGIES ON INDOOR AIR POLLUTION EMISSIONS IN LOW-INCOME MULTIFAMILY DWELLING UNITS; AND 3) EVALUATE THE FACTORS THAT DRIVE AND INHIBIT HOUSEHOLD, MUNICIPAL, AND REGIONAL DECISIONS ABOUT WHETHER TO ADOPT ELECTRIFICATION AND ENERGY EFFICIENT TECHNOLOGIES, RESPECTIVELY, AND TO DO SO SPECIFICALLY FOR UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS. SUBRECIPIENT:SUBAWARDEE INDIANA UNIVERSITY ($278,190) WILL LEAD THE DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION, AND ANALYSIS OF THE HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS AND ENERGY DIARIES. SUBAWARDEE CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY (CMU) ($129,674) WILL LEAD THE ANALYSIS OF THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY BENEFITS OF ELECTRIFICATION AND WEATHERIZATION. CMU WILL ALSO LEAD THE ANALYSIS OF AIR QUALITY CHANGES AFTER ELECTRIFICATION. SUBAWARDEE OVER-THE-RHINE COMMUNITY HOUSING (OTRCH) ($466,800) WILL SUPPORT THE PROJECT BY LEADING THE BUILDING AND UNIT SELECTION AS WELL AS TENANT RECRUITMENT AND ONGOING ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS. OTRCH WILL ALSO CONDUCT THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS TO SECURE CONTRACTORS TO COMPLETE BUILDING INTERVENTIONS AND OVERSEE THE EXECUTION OF THE WORK.OUTCOMES:DELIVERABLES INCLUDE ANNUAL PROGRESS AND FINAL REPORTS AS WELL AS JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS DOCUMENTING THE RESEARCH FINDINGS. THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES INCLUDE EXTENSIVE SOCIOECONOMIC AND BEHAVIORAL INSIGHTS THAT CAN BE USED TO UNDERSTAND AND ADVANCE THE DIFFUSION OF LOW-CARBON AND EFFICIENT TECHNOLOGIES AMONG LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS. DIRECT BENEFICIARIES INCLUDE MULTIFAMILY HOME RESIDENTS IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES IN CINCINNATI, OH; LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC.

GCRFPC PARTNERSHIPS FOR A HEALTHY REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEM

DESCRIPTION:THE AGREEMENT PROVIDES FUNDING TO GREEN UMBRELLA. THIS PROPOSAL OUTLINES THREE TIERS OF CROSS-SECTOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROJECTS ACROSS THREE REGIONAL GEOGRAPHIES AT VARYING STAGES OF THE ENGAGEMENT TO POLICY PIPELINE, AND LEVERAGES ELEMENTS OF THE US EPA'S COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING MODEL TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IN GREATER CINCINNATI. LEARNINGS AND BEST PRACTICES GLEANED FROM THESE LOCAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROJECTS WILL BE FUNNELED INTO REGIONAL CLIMATE COLLABORATIVE WORKING GROUPS TO PRODUCE REGIONALIZED POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS THROUGH REGIONAL ACTION PLAYBOOKS. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WILL SPECIFICALLY SEEK CONNECTION WITH ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING LOW-INCOME AND RURAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND YOUTH. COLLABORATION WITH THE US EPA WOULD SUPPORT PERSONNEL TIME AND FACILITATION COSTS FOR GREEN UMBRELLA AND PARTNER STAFF TO ADVANCE THIS WORK AND A SERIES OF SMALL-SCALE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IMPLEMENTATION PROJECTS IN CINCINNATI. PROJECT PARTNERS INCLUDE: GROUNDWORK OHIO RIVER VALLEY (NONPROFIT); TRI-STATE TRAILS (NONPROFIT); WORKING IN NEIGHBORHOODS (NONPROFIT); CITY OF NEWPORT (LOCAL GOVERNMENT); RENEWPORT (NONPROFIT); CITY OF AURORA (LOCAL GOVERNMENT); HISTORIC HOOSIER HILLS RESOURCE/CONSERVATION DISTRICT); HUMAN NATURE (BUSINESS/INDUSTRY)ACTIVITIES:ACTIVITIES DEFINED IN THIS PROPOSAL PRIMARILY INCLUDE PUBLIC TRAINING AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN THREE COMMUNITIES IN KENTUCKY (NEWPORT), INDIANA (AURORA), AND OHIO (CINCINNATI - BEEKMAN CORRIDOR) TO DEVELOP CLIMATE ACTION PLAYBOOKS. A SERIES OF SMALL-SCALE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS ARE ALSO IDENTIFIED IN SOUTHWEST OHIO. SUBRECIPIENT:GROUNDWORK USA - OHIO: GROUNDWORK STAFF WILL PROVIDE RESIDENT RECRUITMENT AND CO-FACILITATION SUPPORT FOR CLIMATE SAFE ACTIVITIES, PRODUCE CLIMATE SAFE MAPS, OVERSEE OF THE YOUTH WORKFORCE TO IMPLEMENT THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, AND PARTICIPATE IN REGIONAL CLIMATE COLLABORATIVE CONVENINGS. WORKING IN NEIGHBORHOODS/CUFA: WORKING IN NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES UNITED FOR ACTION WILL ACQUIRE MATERIALS FOR AND COORDINATE THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IN BEEKMAN CORRIDOR, AND RECRUIT RESIDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN CLIMATE SAFE AND REGIONAL CLIMATE COLLABORATIVE CONVENINGS. TRISTATE TRAILS: TRI-STATE TRAILS WILL ACT AS AN ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION POLICY ADVISOR IN THE CLIMATE SAFE AND REGIONAL CLIMATE COLLABORATIVE COVENINGS, WILL LEAD EXPERIENTIAL WALK/BIKE RIDES IN AURORA AND NEWPORT, AND WILL PRODUCE COMMUNITY ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION MAPS AND REPORTS.OUTCOMES:THE ANTICIPATED DELIVERABLES IN EACH OF THE PARTNER COMMUNITIES (AURORA, NEWPORT, AND BEEKMAN CORRIDOR) INCLUDE COMMUNITY CLIMATE IMPACT MAP, COMMUNITY RESILIENCE PLAN, COMMUNITY-LEVEL ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION ANALYSIS MAP, COMMUNITY REPORT. THE CINCINNATI WORK WILL ALSO INCLUDE: 12 COMMUNITY LISTENING AND ENGAGEMENT WORKING GROUP MEETINGS OVER THREE YEARS ON A QUARTERLY BASIS; 12 REGIONAL RESOURCES AND FUNDING WORKING GROUP MEETINGS OVER THREE YEARS ON A QUARTERLY BASIS; PROJECT, PROGRAM, AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS PUBLISHED IN A REGIONAL ACTION PLAYBOOK. THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES INCLUDE: THE FINDINGS WILL STRENGTHEN THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE COMMUNITIES THE CLIMATE SAFE PROCESS REPRESENTS AND THE POLICY-MAKERS THAT MAKE DECISIONS WITH THOSE COMMUNITIES. THE FINDINGS WILL BE A KEY STEP IN BUILDING TRUST WITH THE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN MARGINALIZED AND WHOSE VIEWS HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY DISCOUNTED. FINDINGS WILL BE USED TO INFORM PARTNERS' PRACTICES IN CREATING PLACE-BASED RESILIENCE PLANS AND STORYMAPS. THE INTENDED BENEFICIARIES INCLUDE RESIDENTS OF THE COMMUNITIES (OUTLINED ABOVE); WIDER NETWORK ACROSS THE THREE COMMUNITIES - AS BROADER RECIPIENTS OF THE OUTPUTS (AURORA, BEEKMAN CORRIDOR, AND NEWPORT); PROGRAM PARTNERS WHO WILL HAVE IMPROVED BUILD CAPACITY TO LEVERAGE CLIMATE RESILIENCY NETWORKS.

REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEM PARTNERSHIPS

FARM TO SCHOOL GRANT PROGRAM

FARM TO SCHOOL GRANT PROGRAM

THE OHIO VALLEY LOCAL FOOD HUB PROJECT