2025-049-E-County Mgr-Urban Sustainability Solutions-Green Infrastructure and Workforce Development Project

Browse Search

1741 1) The students (at least 5/teacher/year) paid to be trained and to *implement* sustainable stormwater best management practices in Orange County, often bring much-needed income to their families while bringing themselves pride and practical participation in their own communities. We target non- academic/core teachers and students (those not planning to attend college). Over 60% of these students US-wide are Black or Hispanic (https://hechingerreport.org/how-career-and- technical-education-shuts-out-black-and-latino- students-from-high-paying-professions/ ; see also https://www.apmreports.org/episode/2014/09/09/t he-troubled-history-of-vocational-education). So we anticipate that at least 60% of the 50 Orange-County students will be of these minorities. As the vast majority of this class will come from low-income families (https://www.jstor.org/stable/1085026), we anticipate that most if not all of the 50 students entering and benefitting from our program will also come from low-income families. All participating students will be aged 15 to 19. 2) All low-income property owners receiving much-needed sustainable stormwater BMP installations will be direct beneficiaries of the program, thereby reducing flooding/erosion, reducing home foundation fractures, moisture and mold, while increasing useable outdoor space on their properties and improving air quality. All (100%) of the BMP installations included in our program will be on underserved properties in Orange County. As 23.8% of the poverty population in the US is black, 28% Hispanic, and 4.3% Asian ( https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2020/09/ poverty-rates-for-blacks-and-hispanics-reached- historic-lows-in-2019.html), we anticipate that at least 56%, or more than half, of the BMPs installed and maintained by this program will be on properties owned by these nonwhite minorities. The majority of low-income homeowners in Orange County are also elderly (65+ years). In this proposal, we anticipate that more than 50% of the properties we serve in the Tom's Creek area will be owned by residents over 65 years: https://partnershipsinaging.unc.edu/wp- 3) In the long term, all those who live within the waterway into which stormwater flows from the properties where BMPs are installed by USS teachers and students will benefit from the project outlined herein. This is because the stormwater runoff where USS BMPs are installed will be naturally filtered by plants rather than directed (as currently) across polluted roofs and roads straight into the nearest stream or creek. The resulting reduction in E.coli, nitrogen and phosphorous pollutants will, in combination, render these impaired Orange County waterways safer for wildlife, swimming and consuming fish. In addition, this reduction in pollution stands to save Orange County taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in required federal cleanup fees. Based on the US Census Bureau’s data for Orange County (https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/or angecountynorthcarolina/PST045222) with a population of ~150,000, the community makeup is about 18,000 black (12%); 12,000 Hispanic (8%); 13,500 Asian (9%); 103.500 White (69%); 78,000 females (52%); and 18,000 in poverty (12%). The median age is 35.1 years. Regarding racial disparities which this project addresses above, the students we will serve are predominantly black, hispanic, and low income - a population that has been historically pushed into nonacademic classes in their public education The low-income properties receiving stormwater control interventions are predominantly owned by non-white minorities who have historically lacked the quality of stormwater and other public utilities enjoyed by wealthier, white, tax- supported neighborhoods and Homeowners’ Associations. Docusign Envelope ID: 7E7D300B-F83F-4917-A8A3-638B79C7D566