JSC - Recommendation for Environmental Investment Plan - Sustainability Incentives — original pdf

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Joint Sustainability Committee Environmental Investment Plan Recommendation Outreach and Engagement for Sustainability Incentives a. Details: The City of Austin has numerous sustainability incentive programs aligned with the goals of the Climate Equity Plan. However, many of these programs are underutilized, especially among low-income households. A part of the challenge is awareness. The city should host a user-friendly website that consolidates information on all sustainability incentives offered by the City of Austin (i.e., home weatherization and repair, water conservation, rainwater collection, landscape and green infrastructure programs), as well as state and federal incentives that align with the goals of the Austin Climate Equity Plan and other city sustainability plans. Additional community outreach by the city and trusted organizations can increase the effectiveness of these programs. A new Community Engagement Specialist FTE in the Office of Sustainability is needed to coordinate community outreach and partnership activities associated with promoting sustainability incentives, with a focus on building relationships with low-income communities, communities of color, and related organizations and service providers. This employee would manage grants, contracts and stipends for community leaders and community-based organizations to do direct outreach to promote sustainability incentive programs in targeted Austin communities, in partnership with the Office of Sustainability. b. Benefits: GHG reduction, water conservation, more equitable participation in programs c. Cost: $500,000/year to the Office of Sustainability for one additional Community Engagement Specialist FTE, website construction and maintenance, and outreach grants, contracts, and stipends ($200,000)