September 29, 2022

The Biden administration is creating a new Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, which will merge three existing Environmental Protection Agency programs, to oversee newly approved initiatives created by the Inflation Reduction Act. The office will distribute $3 billion in block grants to underserved communities affected by pollution. “We’re going from tens of thousands of dollars to developing and designing a program that will distribute billions. But we’re also going to be sure that this money goes to those who need it the most and those who’ve never had a seat at the table,” said Michael Regan, administrator for the agency.

Older adults hoping to safely age in place are struggling to find the help they need as more home care workers seek higher-paying, less-demanding jobs in the retail and food industries. These workers—mostly women and people of color—are among the lowest paid in the United States. “The crisis is real and won’t be quickly fixed. The shortage of health care workers is like nothing we’ve seen before,” said Ruth Martynowicz, chief operating officer for Michigan-based Trinity Health At Home.

The Michigan State Housing Development Authority launched the Missing Middle Housing Program to provide $50 million in funding to developers investing in, constructing, or rehabilitating properties in Michigan. The qualifying properties will target residents with household incomes between 185 and 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. The program’s goal is to rehabilitate or construct 75,000 units over the next five years.

The Zero Energy Modular (ZeMod) Delaware program offers energy-efficient, solar-powered homes to buyers with low to moderate incomes in the state. The monthly mortgage for these zero-energy modular homes is about a quarter of the payment on a median-priced home and could eliminate monthly bills for electricity, heating, and cooling.