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Page 8 of 14 <br />Collaborators and Partners <br />In some projects, collaborators and partners provide essential capacity and connections. If collaborators <br />or partners are an essential part of your project whether or not they are receiving grant funds, please <br />use this section to provide more details. If you are not working with collaborators or partners, please <br />feel free to write N/A in this section and move to the Social Justice and Racial Equity section. <br />13.Please describe one to three <br />key partnerships/collaborations <br />that add the most value to the <br />success of the proposed <br />project: <br />Criterion 1 - Social Justice and Racial Equity <br />14.Who will directly or indirectly <br />benefit from your project? <br />Please be as specific as possible <br />on the characteristics of those <br />who will benefit including, <br />gender, race, age, income level <br />and geographic location. <br />Also, what are the <br />demographics of the area <br />where your project takes <br />place? <br />Does your project help to <br />address any racial disparities in <br />the location it is proposed for? <br />Please list any data sources <br />used and show the steps of any <br />calculations: <br />15.Please describe any ways in <br />which low-income or <br />marginalized <br />communities/households were <br />engaged in the creation of this <br />project proposal: <br />Collaboration between EmPOWERment and <br />SolarEquity: <br />EI’s partnership with SolarEquity, a 501(c)(3), is <br />paramount to the proposed solarization of the PEACH <br />Apartments. SolarEquity provides funding and labor to <br />ensure the project is completed. The organization <br />consists entirely of UNC students passionate about <br />renewable energy and its ability to decrease energy <br />burdens for disadvantaged people in our community. By <br />partnering with SolarEquity, EI will further its interest in <br />solar energy within the larger community, including <br />UNC, and play a role in cultivating the next generation of <br /> environmental stewards. Moreover, by affiliating with a <br />University based organization, EI exposes young people <br /> to other parts of the community, potentially stimulating <br />increased investment and activity from those within the <br />UNC community. <br />Collaboration between EmPOWERment and the PEACH <br /> Apartment Tenants: <br />The proposed project's success is contingent upon both <br />mitigated energy burdens and the proliferation of <br />renewables in low-income areas in Orange County. <br />Educating PEACH Apartments’ tenants on the value of <br />renewable energy will create solar advocates, potentially <br /> leading to increased solar adoption amongst friends and <br /> families in the area. The project and partnership with <br />the PEACH Apartment tenants will be a paragon for <br />other low-income housing developers looking to make a <br />difference in their communities. <br />Collaboration between EmPOWERment and NC Solar <br />Now: <br />The successful solarization of The PEACH Apartments <br />is only possible with collaboration with NC Solar Now. EI <br /> has long been interested in solarizing many of its rental <br />properties across Orange County. After completion of <br />the project at hand, EI will look to catalyze an influx of <br />solar to Orange County through a partnership with NC <br />Solar Now. The collaboration between these two <br />organizations creates value in the short term and can <br />change the renewables landscape for Orange County in <br />the future. <br /> <br /> <br />The PEACH Apartments are located in Pine Knolls, a <br />historically Black neighborhood in Chapel Hill, Orange <br />County, NC, that has since become a mixed-income, <br />mixed-ethnicity neighborhood. For context, Chapel Hill is <br /> 71.28% White, 13.52% Asian, 10.24% Black or African <br />American, and 3.68% two or more races. <br />EI owns twelve units in the Pine Knolls community. <br />Construction of the PEACH Apartments will strengthen <br />the socially and ethnically diverse neighborhood. <br />PEACH will help address the rising affordable housing <br />disparities in the past 20 years. <br />EI’s client base is unique from any other non-profit in the <br /> region. The inventory includes apartments, <br />scattered-site single-family homes, and manufactured <br />homes. Historically EI’s targeted communities have <br />been marginalized communities of color or low wealth. <br />Of EI’s 62 owned and managed households, 50% are <br />African American, 39% are Hispanic, and 10% are <br />White, with the remainder identifying as “Other”. 74.8% <br />of the heads of household are women, and of those, <br />85% are African American or Latino. 55.4% of the <br />clients are between the ages of 19 and 51. 29.2% have <br />been above the age of 51, the remaining 15.3% are <br />below 18. Of the twelve units in the Pine Knolls <br />community, 80% of the households are African <br />American, with 60% headed by women. <br />EI firmly believes that tenants of the PEACH <br />Apartments, who will benefit from reduced electricity <br />bills, will align with the demographics outlined above. <br />Marginalized communities were not initially involved in <br />creating this project proposal, but once the idea was <br />presented, EI came aboard quickly to represent <br />marginalized communities. Collaborating with <br />SolarEquity allowed EI to reconsider solar panels for <br />PEACH and the savings they would bring to PEACH <br />residents. EI's community engagement experience has <br />been pivotal in engaging marginalized communities in <br />creating this project. EI keeps a constant pulse on its <br />targeted communities through virtual meetings, emails, <br />and community events. <br />DocuSign Envelope ID: EB7B9CC8-B910-4965-AF93-0969E3E03E78