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engagement with the community <br />be? <br />maintain active and holistic engagement in the communities <br />where we build and repair homes. <br /> <br />We have built more than eighty homes in Hillsborough and have a <br />long-standing relationship with community leaders and the <br />Fairview Community Watch. For the homes in Northside, Habitat <br />will continue to work in collaboration with the Northside <br />Neighborhood Initiative during and post-project completion to <br />seek feedback from local leaders and residents. The vision for <br />Weavers Grove is centered on building a vibrant community. A <br />solarized Community Center will lie at the heart of the <br />neighborhood with programming for residents. Community <br />leaders and residents are the experts in what their communities <br />need, and Habitat stands ready to assist their vision when called. <br />19. Please describe any other <br />aspect of your project that is <br />relevant to Social Justice and Racial <br />Equity: <br />Energy costs disproportionately affect low-income families <br />because they must spend a higher percentage of their paycheck <br />on energy bills. Many residents and workers in Orange County <br />cannot afford the upfront cost of solar and may not qualify for <br />relevant loans. The tax code perpetuates this inequality by giving <br />tax credits for home solar installation, but these credits frequently <br />cannot be used by those with lowest incomes. Thus, those <br />individuals and families who would benefit most from the <br />environmental and financial benefits of solar panels are excluded. <br /> <br />In 2019, the median national income of families who adopted <br />solar was $113,000 (Source: Lawrence Berkeley National <br />Laboratory). Home solar should not be a luxury available only to <br />those with higher incomes and generational wealth. Solarizing <br />fourteen affordable Habitat homes will help to address the <br />inequitable access to the benefits of renewable energy. <br />Homeowners will also be able to monitor their solar panel <br />electrical production if they choose. As a result, they can use the <br />data to modify their energy consumption potentially allowing <br />more cost savings and wealth building opportunity. <br /> <br />Rooftop solar helps fight climate change and air pollution. Climate <br />justice and racial justice are linked. The National Center for <br />Environmental Assessment found that in the U.S., Black people <br />are exposed to approximately 1.5 times more particulate matter <br />than white people, and Hispanic populations 1.2 times more. <br />People living in poverty have approximately 1.3 times more <br />exposure than people living above the poverty line, with <br />significant health implications. <br /> <br /> <br />DocuSign Envelope ID: 9E4C108B-9C5C-4E75-9AF1-C4CA2E16CEC5