The Strategic Growth Council approved nearly $122 million in grants for 28 affordable housing and sustainability projects across California, according to an article in the California Planning & Development Report. This inaugural award, under the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Growth Program, is funded by the state’s Cap and Trade Program and jointly administered by the SGC and the Department of Housing and Community Development. This year’s selected projects alone will reduce greenhouse gasses by 723,286 metric tons, having the same effect as removing 140,483 cars from the road!

The funding focuses on aiding disadvantaged communities and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. As such, the selected projects will help communities across California. By law, 50 percent of the projects selected were required to focus on disadvantaged communities, but the SGC exceeded this requirement with 77 percent of the awards to disadvantaged communities. A “disadvantaged community” is defined as a census tract with a score in the top 25 percent in the California Environmental Protection Agency’s CalEnviroScreen tool.

Next year’s program is projected to expand to $400 million. The increased funding will allow for a greater number of project awards.

A full list of the project applicants is available by clicking here.