County Office of Sustainability and Environmental Justice Awarded Transformative Climate Communities Grant

12/08/22

On October 27th, the California Strategic Growth Council voted to award the County $300,000 as part of the Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) Program. TCC empowers the communities most impacted by pollution to choose the strategies and projects best suited to achieve their community vision and enact transformational change.

The County was selected to implement a 2-year planning grant for its application titled Spring Valley S.E.E.D.S. - Sustainable Environments & Engaged Development Strategies. The project will undertake five distinct planning tasks focused in the Spring Valley community of the unincorporated area that intend to increase economic resiliency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and address public and environmental health issues.

An overview of the planning activities is listed below.

Group of people on bikesBikes del Pueblo provides free or low-cost bike repairs.
  1. Community Land Trust (CLT): A feasibility study to identify options for a local CLT and increase financial equity, and stability for residents. A CLT is a structure that allows land to be held “in trust” for community needs, outside of the influence of market pressures.
  2. First and Last Mile Audits and Bike Safety Events (1LM): An assessment of 1LM non-motorized transportation options such as walking, biking, and rolling to help identify opportunities to improve walkability, bikeability, and transit use. Improving bikeability and walkability also has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
  3. Food Systems Programming and Community-Based Kitchen Design (Food Systems Programming): The development of a program and construction design plans for a community-based kitchen and composting facilities that will support increased opportunities for employment for young people from agriculture to food service. Supporting the local food system also has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
  4. Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC): An assessment of the potential to open a FQHC that would offer comprehensive healthcare services for low-income residents in Spring Valley to increase access to public health resources.
  5. Business Community Connections: Facilitation of connections to existing and new businesses, further expanding economic, workforce, and business opportunities.
Empty lot with vegetation growingGarden at the San Diego Youth Services campus.

The grant effort will be led by the County’s Office of Sustainability and Environmental Justice, in close coordination with six co-applicants that have related project expertise or experience working in the Spring Valley community, including the Spring Valley Community Alliance, Bikes del Pueblo, San Diego Youth Services, Bancroft Center for Sustainability, San Ysidro Health, and the Spring Valley Chamber of Commerce.

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