The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 10 office in Seattle announced the first round of its Healthy, Resilient, and Sustainable Communities grant projects. The $335,000 grant program will support seven local pollution prevention and sustainability projects aimed at making communities safer, healthier, and more resilient.  

EPA awarded a total of $335,916 to support the following seven selected projects in Oregon, Idaho, and Washington. Project funding ranged from $30,000 to $60,000 for a two-year funding period. The awardees are expected to kick off their projects this fall.

Among the grant recipients are two AOR members:

• Our United Villages (ReBuilding Center) will provide affordable and accessible salvaged building materials to the public and supply free salvaged building materials, with a focus on supplying homeowners in the Portland, Oregon area with building code violations, but who can’t afford the necessary repairs. 
   
• Portland State University will work to reduce food waste through the implementation of a pilot program to rescue and distribute city tree fruit to low-income, multifamily properties in historically disadvantaged areas of Portland, Oregon.

For the full list of grant recipients, read the U.S. EPA's press release.