California’s Largest Investment In Solar For Affordable Housing Turns 1

Since its launch in July 2019, the Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) program has become the nation’s largest investment in clean energy serving low-income and disadvantaged communities. Some 380 projects have applied for funding and are moving through the pipeline to construction.

EHC was a co-sponsor and leading advocate for the legislation that created California’s Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) program and is now deeply engaged in ensuring the program provides maximum community benefit.

We celebrate the completion of a successful first year and look back at the accomplishments of SOMAH and EHC. Once constructed, these 380 active applications equate to 82 megawatts of new solar energy on affordable housing properties in California, representing 27% of the program’s total goal to install 300 MW of solar by 2030.

26% of the applications are located in disadvantaged communities defined by CalEnviroScreen scores (or DACs), benefiting those who are most impacted by toxic pollution and a lack of economic opportunity. Once constructed, the SOMAH projects will benefit Californians for decades by:

• Providing savings for nearly 32,000 tenant units
• Directing 90% of the savings to tenants
• Creating over 700 job training opportunities

The SOMAH program is about partnerships and a community-based approach. EHC is one of five community-based organizations (CBOs) in California that works directly with the program administrator to help communicate benefits to tenants, job seekers and the community we live in.

This year, EHC conducted a series of six virtual mini-workshops with Community Action Teams in National City, Barrio Logan and City Heights, which introduced the SOMAH program, how solar energy works, clean energy jobs, and how to reduce energy use at home. We also conducted direct outreach to developers and owners of affordable housing in environmental justice (EJ) communities to ensure our communities are informed about the program and retain its benefits.

None of this is happening in a vacuum. EHC’s work with SOMAH continued as the world around us changed. Our communities saw the highest rates of coronavirus cases and a devastating spike in unemployment. Residents have experienced housing and power insecurity made worse by planned power outages, heatwaves, and fires. The benefits of clean power are needed NOW.

As frontline communities face a greater burden of energy cost and are disproportionately impacted by economic, environmental and racial injustice, expanding access to renewable energy technology and job training will tackle multiple issues at once. Investing in solar for affordable housing through programs like SOMAH will help Californians generate local, clean power while providing much-needed savings to families and creating economic opportunities for individuals.

If you rent an apartment, you could save on your electric bills if your landlord participates in the Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) program. Learn more about how SOMAH can help your landlord convert your building to low-cost solar energy: calsomah.org/tenants

Tell Port of San Diego to STOP DIESEL DEATHS

The Mitsubishi Cement Corporation (MCC) is proposing to build a mega cement warehouse on the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal in Barrio Logan. If approved by the San Diego Board of Port Commissioners, the MCC warehouse is estimated to increase monthly diesel truck trips by at least 50% adding 2,000 trips and up to as many as 8,700 trips in future years!

Please take action today and tell the Port to protect public health by requiring MCC to use clean electric trucks that reduce diesel air pollution.

Barrio Logan is already at the top 5% for Diesel Particulate Matter (PM), a pollutant that can cause serious health problems such as lung cancer and asthma.

Barrio Logan and National City also have disproportionately high rates of COVID-19 infections – a disease made worse by poor air quality. Our communities don’t need industry and the Port of San Diego to add fuel to the fire, exposing residents to even further risks of health complications.

The Port must reject the MCC mega cement warehouse proposal unless the company complies with a clean electric trucks requirement and other measures that protect portside communities from continued exposures to chronic air pollution.

#stopdieseldeaths

Please sign our petition today!

Environmental Health Coalition’s statement on California State Auditor report on the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District.

Environmental Health Coalition appreciates the leadership of Assembly member Gloria to request this investigation and thanks the Auditor’s office for its comprehensive research. Read full press release from Assembly member Gloria (this press release is no longer available online).

This report validates the experiences of residents who live in the communities most impacted by poor air quality.  Their voices have not been heard as complaints languish for months, monies have not been spent appropriately to reduce pollution and San Diego’s air quality is worsening.  EHC looks forward to working with the new Air Pollution Control Board to rectify these problems.

We are dismayed by the corporate subsidies of nearly $4 million that have been provided to industrial polluters.  The permit program should be a ‘full cost recovery’ system with permit holders paying for the total cost of regulating them.  We are concerned that permit fees have been kept low to accommodate demands from industry.  The public’s vehicle registration funds were used to subsidize these companies. Those funds should have been used for programs to reduce air pollution throughout the region and particularly in those communities that are most impacted.

Lack of public participation has been an ongoing and decades long concern.  APCD has improved its community involvement with the Community Air Protection Program but the lack of authentic participation in the advisory board and at APCD board meetings is stunningly poor.  Most board decisions are on consent with only 3 public commenters in 3 years.  The APCD website is not user-friendly and lack transparency.  These are issues that are required to be managed by the passage of AB 423 that creates a new board structure and requirements for improvement.

On Sunday morning July 12, a 3-alarm fire broke out aboard the Navy ship USS Bonhomme Richard docked at Naval Station San Diego, located between Barrio Logan and National City. Environmental Health Coalition (EHC) expresses our heartfelt thoughts and prayers to the Navy personnel who were injured and our gratitude to the firefighters and emergency personnel who responded to the immediate threat.

Unfortunately, the protection of public health in the neighboring communities was not a high priority for officials. National City residents report being overwhelmed by the odors in the early afternoon and throughout the day. Many said that they had to leave their homes because of the fumes and because they didn’t have air conditioning that would have enabled them to stay inside with the windows closed because of the heat.

EHC is deeply concerned and outraged that the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) and Health Department were under-prepared to protect public health during a crisis like this. National City Mayor Alejandra Sotelo-Solis’ statement in English and Spanish warning the public and advising them to stay indoors came at 2:30 PM and was the only statement from an official source for hours.

The Navy spokesperson, Rear Admiral Phillip Sobeck’s assertions that the smoke does not contain toxics is preposterous and inaccurate. Smoke inhalation is hazardous to everyone’s health, especially those who have chronic conditions like respiratory illness or heart disease.

EHC calls for the following actions:

• The County should immediately update their guidance on social media to effectively warn the public, and especially those with chronic conditions and provide safety information.
• The County should provide emergency shelter for impacted residents that is cool, smoke-free and COVID-safe
• The APCD should release air monitoring results immediately
• The County should develop an emergency monitoring plan in collaboration with the community to implement as soon as a disaster like this occurs.
• The Navy should release its findings regarding the cause and source of the fire as soon as that information becomes available.

The community deserves to have complete information about the toxins in the fire and how those could harm their health. National City and Barrio Logan are low-income communities of color that already have compromised air quality and are in the top 10% of most polluted neighborhoods in the state. As a result, 3-5 times more children in these communities suffer from asthma and other respiratory illnesses.

Related News Coverage:

• Smoke from burning Navy ship in San Diego triggers health concerns, pollution monitoring (SDUT)
• Combaten incendio en el buque USS Bonhomme Richard por segundo día (Noticiasya)
• Answers on Navy Fire’s Health Impacts Won’t Come Right Away (VOSD)
• Air Quality Concerns Surround USS Bonhomme Richard Fire (KPBS)

Image credit: Port of San Diego Harbor Police via Twitter