2021-642-E-AMS-Habitat for Humanity of Orange County-Community Climate Action Grant

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P a g e 13 o f 20 15. Please describe any ways in which low‐income or marginalized communities/households were engaged in the creation of this project proposal. While the actual homebuyers for this project have not yet been selected, we do have nearly 300 local Habitat homeowners with valuable experience and insights. Habitat regularly solicits this group for their opinions and ideas on our work and programs. Homeowners are typically excited about the financial and environmental benefits of owning a green-certified Habitat home. Still, we recognize that rooftop solar panels may not be for everyone. We will work closely with the buyers of each potential solar home to ensure that they fully understand all of the risks and benefits of the program, and we will honor their decision about whether to participate. Habitat homeowners contribute 275 hours of their time to construction of their homes, education, and community engagement activities. Through education and personal experience with solar we hope that homeowners will become advocates for solar in our community. 16. Please describe any potential negative side effects of the project and describe the steps you are taking/will take to eliminate or minimize these impacts to any low‐income or marginalized communities/households. The homeowners will have approximately $73 free electricity per month and the equipment is warranted for 12-25 years. However, the labor is only guaranteed for five years after which time maintenance will be the homeowner’s responsibility. However, solar installations have a low repair rate. Habitat has programs to help homeowners save for repairs and can also offer referrals for reputable vendors and in some case no-interest loans for repairs. 17. Are the impacted residents already aware of the potential positive and negative impacts of your project and the steps you are taking? If not, please describe your plan to engage with them and how you will act based on their input. Specific homeowners for the ten pilot homes have not yet been selected. Once selected, homebuyers for homes with the potential for solar installation will be offered education and information about solar and the choice to participate in the program or not. Communication with homebuyers will be fully open and transparent regarding the potential costs, positives, and negatives of the program. Homebuyers who are not fully willing to participate in the program will not be required to do so. 18. Please describe any other aspect of your project that is relevant to Social Justice and Racial Equity. Energy costs disproportionately affect low-income families because energy bills account for a much higher percentage of their income. High energy costs contribute to the cycle of poverty. Low- income families cannot afford the upfront cost of solar and frequently do not qualify for loans. The tax code perpetuates this inequality by giving tax credits for home solar installation, but these credits frequently cannot be used by those with lowest incomes. Home solar should not be available just for those with higher incomes. Building these homes with solar will address the lack of equity when it comes to the benefits of renewable energy. Rooftop solar helps fight climate change and air pollution. Climate justice and racial justice are linked. In the U.S. Black people are exposed to about 1.5 times more particulate matter than white people, and Hispanics 1.2 times more. People in poverty have about 1.3 times more exposure than people out of poverty with resultant significant health risk. Habitat’s affordable homeownership program also helps address the racial wealth gap and helps families build generational wealth and equity. Emissions Reduced DocuSign Envelope ID: 0E2E518B-BEF7-4AF0-8D07-FCD05F094BD6