(The Center Square) – The Washington State Department of Health has announced that $14 million of grant money from Climate Commitment Act revenue has been awarded to 41 different community organizations and tribes.
The $14 million in grant money has been awarded under two separate programs: $750,000 from the Climate and Health Adaptation Initiative (CHAI) Community Capacity Grant Program and the remainder from the Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Capacity Grant program.
CHAI is meant to provided funding for “communities across Washington state who have climate change-related action plans but may need additional resources or capacity to implement those plans.” HEAL was enacted in 2021 to “reduce environmental and health disparities and improve the health of all people in Washington state” by funding “communities most impacted by environmental hazards with necessary resources needed to collaborate with state agencies on environmental health decisions.”
According to DOH, entities that qualify for HEAL grants include:
Native NationsUrban nativesRural communitiesHomelessDisabledLGBTQOther communities “most vulnerable to climate impacts”
In a press release statement, DOH Environmental Public Health Assistant Secretary Lauren Jenks said that “through the Climate Commitment Act, we are putting frontline communities at the heart of our climate justice initiatives. By funding projects that prioritize the voices and experiences within communities, we are addressing immediate environmental and health impacts related to climate change while also building lasting relationships based on trust and mutual respect.”
Among the entities to receive HEAL grants include:
African Community Housing & DevelopmentAlimentando al PuebloAsians for Collective LiberationAsia Pacific Cultural Center*Latino Community Fund of WashingtonLatinos en SpokaneMother AfricaNa’ah Illahee FundNuestras Raices Centro ComunitarioPacific Islander Health Board of WashingtonSouthwest Washington Regional Health Alliance/Southwest WashingtonSurge Reproductive Justice
According to the DOH, “Funds may not be used for publicity or propaganda purposes designed to influence legislation, nor can they be used for the salary or expenses of any grant or contract recipient related to activities influencing legislation, appropriations, regulation, administrative actions, or Executive orders.”
However, a DOH spokesperson wrote in an email to The Center Square that “HEAL grantees are not required to segregate grant money that can be legally used for political advocacy. The HEAL capacity grant does not require proof of all expenditures but does require grantees to submit a detailed statement of work, and payment is delivered upon proof of completion of the stated work. CHAI grantees are also reimbursed for work performed based on project progress and agreed upon contracted deliverables.”