The program requires that 40 percent of some federal funds be used to benefit historically disadvantaged communities.
In an article for Blavity, Jeanne Yacoubou outlines how the Biden administration’s Justice40 Initiative, which mandates that 40 percent of certain federal investments go to disadvantaged communities, has affected affordable housing and equity since its creation in 2021.
The program defines ‘disadvantaged’ communities as “those that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution while underinvested in housing, transportation, water and wastewater infrastructure, and health care,” Yacoubou explains.
The Green and Resilient Retrofit Program has, so far, installed energy efficiency upgrades in roughly 2,000 multifamily homes occupied by low-income households.
As Yacoubou notes, “The future of the remaining Justice40 funds depends on the results of the 2024 presidential election. Donald Trump has vowed to eliminate all or most of the remaining funds of the IRA climate law calling it a ‘waste’ of money.” Meanwhile, 16 Republican governors want to keep the benefits of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), but called on President Biden to eliminate the environmental justice requirements.
FULL STORY: The Justice40 Initiative And Affordable, Sustainable Housing
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