Community Informed Budgeting Grant
Agency
Health, Department of
Title of action
Community Informed Budgeting Grant
Date significant agency action was initiated
Wednesday, June 14, 2023
Category
New grant or loan program
Brief description of significant agency actions for which the agency is initiating an environmental justice assessment.
The Department of Health (DOH) is conducting an Environmental Justice Assessment on a grant program to fund projects that benefit overburdened communities.
In 2023, the legislature directed DOH to design and implement a participatory budgeting process. “Participatory budgeting” is a term used to describe processes where residents help decide how to spend a part of a public budget.
The DOH will work with a community advisory committee to first identify five geographically diverse overburdened communities. In collaboration with these five communities, the DOH will co-create a process to identify climate resilience and decarbonization projects. The communities will vote on projects and the selected projects will be presented to the Washington state legislature. Once approved by the legislature in 2025, these projects will be funded up to $32,600,000.
Methods for providing public comment for agency consideration as part of the environmental justice assessment.
Opportunities for public engagement and updates will be posted to the agency website below.
Link to agency webpage where the action is posted.
