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SGC Catalyst Model Community-Driven Investment Model: Multi-Benefit Projects at the Neighborhood Scale

Empowering communities to design multi-benefit projects creates a variety of positive outcomes for diverse stakeholders. When focused on the neighborhood scale, multi-benefit projects can advance collaboration among stakeholders and facilitate innovative funding opportunities that directly address community needs. Designing multi-benefit projects also supports the integration of infrastructure and ensures new improvements directly benefit existing residents and small businesses.

Outcomes

  • Existing residents experience tangible and relevant improvements in their lives
  • Improvements are appropriate for the place
  • Communities benefit directly from the investments that they made possible
  • Existing residents and businesses benefit from investment in their neighborhoods due to intentional strategies to avoid displacement as neighborhoods become safer and healthier.

How to Do This

The following examples draw on existing SGC program guidelines. The examples are intended as a guide and can be adapted to suit the needs of particular programs and contexts.

Project Area Eligibility

  • Applicants must provide a description and map of the Project Area that demonstrate the Project Area meets all requirements below. Applicants can use the TCC Mapping Tool to design an eligible Project Area. Project Area Size
  • Applicants must define a contiguous Project Area that is no larger than approximately five-square miles (5 mi2).

SOURCE: Transformative Climate Communities Round 4 Program Guidelines (p. 10)

D. Strategies and Projects

Applicants will select Strategies and develop Projects that address the TCC Program Objectives.

Strategies

Applicants must select at least three (3) Strategies from the list below. Strategies should be thoughtfully selected and integrated to best meet the community’s needs. Project activities eligible for funding under each Strategy are outlined in Appendix B. The majority of the TCC grant award (at least 67%) will be allocated to direct implementation costs for Projects under these Strategies.

  1. Equitable Housing and Neighborhood Development
  2. Land Acquisition for Affordable Housing
  3. Transit Access and Mobility
  4. Solar Installation, Energy Efficiency, and Appliance Electrification
  5. Water Efficiency
  6. Recycling and Waste Management
  7. Urban Greening and Green Infrastructure
  8. Health and Well-Being
  9. Indoor Air Quality
  10. Community Microgrids
  11. Brownfield Redevelopment.

SOURCE: Transformative Climate Communities Round 4 Program Guidelines (p. 14)

C. Objectives and Vision

Applicants must develop a shared Vision Statement that describes how the TCC Proposal will achieve all three (3) Program Objectives, as described in AB 2722:

  • Achieve Significant Reductions in Greenhouse Gas Emissions:
    • Applicants must develop a proposal with integrated projects that will reduce GHG emissions and further the objectives of AB 32 and SB 32.
  • Improve Public Health and Environmental Benefits:
    • Applicants must describe how their proposal will improve public health outcomes for community residents and achieve environmental benefits for the Project Area.
  • Expand Economic Opportunity and Shared Prosperity:
    • Applicants must consider how the proposal will contribute to economic opportunities for the community and ensure that improvements are accessible and equitable.

SOURCE: Transformative Climate Communities Round 4 Program Guidelines (p. 13)

E. Transformative Elements

In addition to selecting Strategies and developing Projects, Applicants must include six (6) Transformative Elements as part of a TCC Proposal. Transformative Elements are critical to furthering the TCC Program Objectives and supporting the implementation of Strategies and Projects.

The six (6) required Transformative Elements are:

  • Data Collection and Indicator Tracking
  • Community Engagement
  • Displacement Avoidance
  • Workforce Development and Economic Opportunities
  • Climate Adaptation and Resilience
  • Leverage Funding.

SOURCE: Transformative Climate Communities Round 4 Program Guidelines (p. 17)

Community Engagement

  • Applicants may allocate up to eight percent (8%) of their budget for eligible community engagement and outreach activities during grant implementation. The SGC recognizes that many effective community engagement and outreach strategies are cost-intensive. Funding requests that exceed the eight percent (8%) cap will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis during the Post-award Consultation.
  • To ensure that grant funds provide direct, meaningful, and assured benefits to disadvantaged communities, the TCC Program requires that Applicants work with community members and stakeholders through direct engagement. Applicants must involve residents and businesses from the Project Area and key stakeholders in all phases of TCC Proposal development and implementation. TCC Proposals should be designed to meet residents’ needs that are identified through a documented outreach and engagement process

SOURCE: Transformative Climate Communities Round 4 Program Guidelines (p. 21)

Displacement Avoidance

  • Applicants may allocate up to three percent (3%) of the total Community Engagement budget to support displacement avoidance activities performed by technical assistance providers and nonprofit organizations.
  • TCC Proposals must include a Displacement Avoidance Plan that details the actions Lead Applicants and Partners will take to establish policies and programs to avoid the displacement of existing households and small businesses within the Project Area. Displacement Avoidance Plans must be directly informed by robust community engagement. Applicants will describe how their Displacement Avoidance will be successfully implemented and evaluated to ensure that it has the intended impact. See Appendix C for a list of example displacement avoidance policies and programs categorized by strategy.

SOURCE: Transformative Climate Communities Round 4 Program Guidelines (p. 23)

Workforce Development and Economic Opportunities

  • Applicants may allocate up to five percent (5%) of their budget to support workforce development and economic opportunities.
  • TCC Applicants must develop a Workforce Development and Economic Opportunities Plan that accomplishes the two (2) goals below. Applicants must develop workforce development training programs that prepare Project Area residents for high-quality career pathways, with a focus on preparing residents for careers in a future net-zero economy. Applicants also must develop an economic opportunities plan for creating local, high-quality jobs in the Project Area.
  • TCC encourages training and job placement partnerships with small businesses in the Project Area owned by priority populations, including women; minority; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT); and disabled veteran-owned business enterprises.

SOURCE: Transformative Climate Communities Round 4 Program Guidelines (p. 24)