Press Release Second Round of BOOST Program to Help Under-Resourced Communities Address Climate Change

Published:

Sacramento – Today, the California Strategic Growth Council (SGC) announced the recipients of the BOOST Program, a state-wide program tailored to help California cities and towns advance their climate action, resilience, and equity objectives. The program is administered through a partnership between SGC, the Institute for Local Government (ILG), Climate Resolve, California Coalition for Rural Housing, and Farallon Strategies.

This technical assistance program supports under-resourced cities and towns in building capacity, optimizing existing resources, strengthening community partnerships, and transforming their approach to address and fund climate activities. Through BOOST, SGC, ILG and the project team are partnering with seven cities and towns to provide tailored support with advancing climate action through Spring 2023. Selected jurisdictions vary in size, geography, and demographics and are selected based on their status as low-income or disadvantaged communities, limited local government staff capacity, and demonstrated desire to work on climate-related issues. The communities include the cities of Barstow, La Puente, Maywood, McFarland, Needles, Rialto, and South San Francisco.

These communities will receive capacity building support in the form of trainings, partnership development, community engagement planning and implementation support, grant application assistance, and communications assistance. Each BOOST community will work closely with SGC, ILG and the project team to create a workplan tailored to each community’s specific needs.

“The first round of BOOST supported local governments with the tools and resources necessary to advance their climate and equity goals, develop strong partnerships, and access new funding,” said Lynn von Koch-Liebert, Executive Director of the California Strategic Growth Council. “SGC is thrilled to be working with the Institute for Local Government to build on the pilot’s success and continue supporting California’s under-resourced communities through technical assistance and capacity building support.”

The 2021 BOOST Program is based on the BOOST Pilot Program which ran from 2019-2020 and helped 10 cities and two regions build capacity to advance their climate and equity goals. The 18-month pilot was designed to provide flexible and responsive technical assistance to address the varying and evolving capacity challenges of local governments, while also sharing best practices and lessons learned to help inform state programs.

The pilot connected the original BOOST Program participants to 59 grant opportunities and provided direct application assistance on 23 grants, leading to over $50 million in new funding. Funding provided included $43 million in California Climate Investments (CCI) and $6.6 million in Senate Bill 2/Local Early Action Plan (LEAP) grants to support planning, affordable housing, equitable transportation, and climate mitigation and resilience projects.

“The Institute for Local Government is excited to partner with SGC to continue the BOOST Program,” said Erica L. Manuel, CEO and Executive Director of the Institute for Local Government. “Through the initial BOOST Pilot Program, we helped under-resourced communities access nearly $50 million in state grant funding, create and update climate action and resilience plans, and authentically engage their communities on climate and equity initiatives. We are looking forward to building on what we learned to help even more communities reach their goals and build capacity.”

Find out more about the BOOST Program at www.ca-ilg.org/BOOST.

About the BOOST Participants:

Media Contact

California Strategic Growth Council:
Luis Jimenez, (916) 695-0049 SGC.press@sgc.ca.gov

Institute for Local Government:
Melissa Kuehne, (916) 764-0751, mkuehne@ca-ilg.org


About the California Strategic Growth Council

With a guiding vision—healthy, thriving, and resilient communities for all—the California Strategic Growth Council (SGC), a cabinet level body, coordinates and works collaboratively with public agencies, communities, and stakeholders to achieve sustainability, equity, economic prosperity, and quality of life for all Californians with a focus on the state’s most disadvantaged communities. SGC implements its mission through four key activities: making investments in infrastructure and conservation programs; conducting outreach and providing technical assistance to support of communities seeking to access these investments and leading and supporting integrated policy initiatives that align with SGC’s mission. Learn more at sgc.ca.gov.

About the Institute for Local Government

The Institute for Local Government (ILG) is the non-profit training and education affiliate of the League of California Cities, California State Association of Counties, and the California Special Districts Association, which represent 1000s of local agencies across the state. ILG helps local officials and staff navigate the constantly changing landscape of their jobs by offering training, technical assistance, written resources, and facilitation services specifically designed for local agencies. From leadership to public engagement to sustainability and workforce, ILG helps local government leaders with a wide range of issues. Visit www.ca-ilg.org to find out more

About the California Coalition for Rural Housing

Formed in 1976, the California Coalition for Rural Housing (CCRH) is a 501c3 non-profit and is the oldest statewide low-income housing coalition in the country. The CCRH brings 40 years of affordable housing and community development technical assistance, research, and program and policy development, in addition to a rich network of partners throughout the state and across the nation.

About Climate Resolve

Climate Resolve is a Los Angeles-based 501c3 tax-deductible non-profit organization founded in 2010 that focuses on local solutions to global climate change and works to achieve outcomes that bestow multiple benefits. Climate Resolve works to make California more equitable, just, livable, prosperous, and sustainable today and for generations to come by inspiring people at home, at work, and in government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for climate impacts.

About Farallon Strategies

Farallon Strategies (FS) is a catalytic partner to communities and organizations that take bold actions to address climate change and resilience. FS collaborates with stakeholders across the United States to pilot, test, and/or scale initiatives. Their expertise is rooted in their diversity of experiences and passion for creating a better world.