Resilient and Healthy Communities

The Inflation Reduction Act includes community-based investments to reduce pollution in disadvantaged communities while improving sustainability and resilience. To maintain its commitment to equity and environmental justice, the law allocates $3 billion for environmental and climate justice block grants, which can be used for community-led  monitoring and remediation of emissions, mitigating the effects of urban heat islands, and facilitating the engagement of disadvantaged communities in federal and state policymaking. In addition to those block grants, the law includes $50 million to address indoor air quality and emissions at schools in low income and disadvantaged communities through monitoring programs and technical assistance.

The Inflation Reduction Act also contains a number of provisions that will support state, Tribal, and local governments in climate change planning, resilience, adaptation, and response, prioritizing low-income communities and communities of color that are disproportionately affected by climate impacts. This includes: $2.6 billion in National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) grants to protect coastal communities and conserve and restore coastal habitats; $5 billion in grants to support resilient forests and communities; $5 billion in grants for drought resilience; and nearly $250 million for Tribal and Native Hawaiian climate resilience and adaptation programs. These critical investments strengthen those already made in the BIL, including historic funding levels for the NOAA Community-Based Restoration Project, National Coastal Resiliency Fund, and Flood Mitigation Assistance. 

Additionally, the legislation creates the Methane Emissions Reduction Program (MERP), which will use nearly $1.5 billion in funding to mitigate methane pollution by providing assistance to companies to reduce their methane emissions. The law also allows for the funding to be used for communities impacted by methane and other greenhouse gas pollution including by mitigating health effects of methane and supporting environmental restoration.   

Restoration of natural ecosystems and climate resilience go hand-in-hand. Combined with the efforts made in the BIL, the Inflation Reduction Act will help ensure that our infrastructure and communities are prepared for the impacts of climate change. These investments can be built on and expanded to ensure that we create high-quality jobs in the restoration work and put communities first in planning and preparing for future conditions.

Unfortunately, the Inflation Reduction Act did not include investments in our care economy. Funding is still needed for states to strengthen the Home and Community Based Services workforce and assess availability and barriers to accessing home and community-based services.