Transformative Climate Communities

Transformative Climate Communities
Name	Transformative Climate Communities
Abbreviation	TCC
Established	2016
Founder	California Air Resources Board
Type	Grant program
Location	California

Contents

Transformative Climate Communities is a California state grant initiative aimed at directing capital into disadvantaged neighborhoods to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build local resilience. The initiative plays a role in statewide climate policy alongside California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, Cap-and-Trade Program (California), and programs administered by the California Strategic Growth Council, California Department of Conservation, California Environmental Protection Agency, and California Energy Commission. It coordinates local planning with regional agencies such as the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and entities including the Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council.

Overview

The initiative emerged from legislation codified in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and directions from the California Climate Investments framework, with governance linked to the California State Legislature and implementation partners like the California Air Resources Board and the Strategic Growth Council. Designed to target CalEnviroScreen-identified neighborhoods, the program intersects with policy instruments such as the Low Carbon Transit Operations Program, Urban Greening Program, Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program, and the Senate Bill 535 environmental justice mandates. It leverages expertise from organizations including the Local Government Commission, Urban Land Institute, Coalition for Clean Air, and philanthropic partners like the Ford Foundation and Kresge Foundation.

TCC's objectives align with statewide climate goals set by Executive Order B-30-15 and the Global Warming Solutions Act. The program structure requires multi-benefit projects addressing emissions reduction, pollution exposure, and community resilience through integrated investments in sectors represented by California Air Resources Board, California Department of Transportation, California Public Utilities Commission, and local Metropolitan Planning Organizations. Governance incorporates community-based organizations such as East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice, Central California Environmental Justice Network, and regional capacity-building providers like Local Initiatives Support Corporation and Enterprise Community Partners to ensure participation from stakeholders including Laborers' International Union of North America and Service Employees International Union.

Funding flows from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund sourced by the California Cap-and-Trade Program administered by the California Air Resources Board and allocated through competitive solicitations managed by the Strategic Growth Council. Grants supplement financing tools such as Community Development Block Grant-style investments, New Markets Tax Credit-assisted deals, and public-private partnerships involving entities like California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank and municipal authorities including the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Implementation relies on coordination among municipal agencies, regional transit agencies, and nonprofit implementers, with monitoring by organizations like the State Controller of California and evaluation by academic partners from University of California, Berkeley, University of Southern California, and Stanford University.

Eligible communities are typically those identified by CalEnviroScreen as disadvantaged, often overlapping with census tracts represented by community organizations such as East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice and networks like the California Environmental Justice Alliance. Selection criteria emphasize greenhouse gas reduction potential, co-benefits for residents through projects similar to those funded by the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program, potential for job creation linked to California Workforce Development Board priorities, and readiness demonstrated by letters from local governments such as the City of Los Angeles or County of Riverside and regional bodies including the San Diego Association of Governments and Southern California Association of Governments.

Awarded projects have spanned transit-oriented development near Los Angeles Union Station, neighborhood electrification in Oakland, urban greening in Fresno, active transportation networks in San Bernardino County, and renewable energy and workforce training initiatives in Richmond, California. Implementations have involved partnerships with agencies like the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, nonprofits such as TreePeople and Trust for Public Land, academic partners like California State University, Northridge, and private firms that execute construction under standards informed by California Building Standards Code and procurement rules monitored by the California Department of General Services.

Evaluations conducted by researchers at University of California, Davis, University of California, Los Angeles, and policy analysts from Next10 and the Public Policy Institute of California measure metrics including greenhouse gas reductions, air quality improvements tracked by California Air Resources Board monitoring stations, job creation reported to the California Employment Development Department, and health outcomes assessed against datasets from California Department of Public Health. Reports indicate co-benefits in reduced diesel particulate exposure near Port of Los Angeles freight corridors, increased tree canopy consistent with goals from the Urban Greening Program, and advances in equitable investment aligned with Senate Bill 1000 land-use planning guidance.

Critics including advocacy groups such as the Environmental Defense Fund and local watchdogs have raised concerns about grant size, administrative complexity, and the speed of disbursement relative to urgent community needs, paralleling debates seen with Community Development Block Grant administration and the rollout of Cap-and-Trade revenues. Challenges include ensuring accountability under state auditing by the California State Auditor, coordinating across agencies like the California Air Resources Board and Strategic Growth Council, aligning workforce development with the California Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act objectives, and addressing equity critiques voiced by coalitions including the California Environmental Justice Alliance and Asian Pacific Environmental Network.

Category:Climate change in California