Attachment 2. Catalyst Grant Application Project Description Catalyst Grant: Richmond Rising Together
Total funding request (maximum): $15 million
Approximate City of Richmond requested funding: ~$7.2 million Lead Applicant: City of Richmond.
Co-Applicants: GRID Alternatives (GRID), Groundwork Richmond, LifeLong Medical Care, MCE, Rich City Rides, Richmond Community Foundation, Richmond Trees, Rising Juntos, RYSE, Inc, The Black Neighborhood, The Watershed Project, STEAM the Streets, UC Berkeley, Center for Global Healthy Cities.
Project description.
Richmond Rising Together is a comprehensive, community-driven initiative that integrates clean mobility, energy resilience, solar and energy efficient housing improvements, public health, workforce development to reduce air pollution and improve health outcomes in frontline communities. Through a coordinated, multi- partner approach, the project advances a just transition by combining infrastructure investments with community-based programming, data collection, and inclusive engagement strategies. The initiative prioritizes environmental justice by directing resources to residents disproportionately impacted by pollution and climate vulnerabilities, while building long-term community capacity and economic resilience.
Key components include:
• Tree Planting. The City of Richmond, Groundwork Richmond, The Watershed Project, and Richmond Trees will engage residents, plant and care for 600 trees, and install 10 rain gardens to improve the urban canopy in the city. Groundwork Richmond and The Watershed Project (TWP) incorporate direct employment of Richmond residents into their green infrastructure installations and offer nature- based solutions skills-training programs for residents. By combining the work of three community groups, the project will be able to address significant gaps in urban tree canopy and create job training opportunities in multiple neighborhoods, including many areas that are considered Disadvantaged Communities under SB 535.
• Total Transit Access Pilot Program. This pilot program will be a collaboration with the Clipper BayPass program, operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART). Through the Pilot, participants from partner workforce programs will receive a Clipper Card loaded with BayPass, which enables unlimited rides on all transit agencies in the San Francisco Bay Area. This includes BART, AC Transit, SF Bay Ferry, and others that serve Richmond. Participants will use BayPass for the duration of their participation in the workforce programs. Upon completion, the passes are transferred to the next cohort in participating in workforce development programs. The TTA Pilot aims to serve 300 participants annually for five years.
Upon completion, the program will benefit 1,500 Richmond residents.
Attachment 2. Catalyst Grant Application Project Description
• Richmond Moves. Richmond Moves is a citywide, zero-emission, on-demand microtransit service operated by the City of Richmond. Launched in April 2022 as a 5.6-square-mile pilot, the service expanded in May 2025 to cover approximately 20 square miles — nearly the full city boundary. The service operates Monday through Friday, 7am to 7pm, with a fleet of 11 fully electric vehicles and 26 active drivers, connecting residents to BART, the Richmond Ferry Terminal, schools, job centers, and healthcare facilities via app or phone booking. Riders can book trips through app or by calling in. Since the citywide expansion, ridership has grown more than 110% year-over-year. In 2025, the service completed 86,000 rides — with 30% connecting directly to BART or the Richmond Ferry Terminal. Approximately 50% of Richmond Moves trips replace travel that would otherwise be completed by single occupancy travel, delivering measurable reductions in local air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Bay REPAIR funding will support continued operations of Richmond Moves for one additional year.
• Resilient Homes Roof Repairs. GRID Alternatives (GRID) in partnership with the City of Richmond and Marin Clean Energy (MCE), will provide home rehabilitation repairs, including cool roof replacements, partial roof repairs, and main panel upgrades in order to deliver an estimated 450 kW of solar power across to approximately 100 residential properties income-qualified families in Richmond, with particular focus on the Iron Triangle, Coronado, and Santa Fe neighborhoods that will enable income-qualified families to receive solar power.
This includes eligible areas in Richmond that rank 75 or above on the Cal- EnvironScreen 4.0 Map (Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.gov). GRID partners with MCE to provide the electrical panel upgrades that are required before solar can be installed. MCE leads home assessments, energy efficiency installations, appliance electrification, and home rehabilitation to enable clean energy measure installation. GRID performs all the solar installation tasks from intake to installation and uses a unique workforce development model to allow for greater community benefits, particularly access to clean energy careers. All solar installations that will be performed as part of this project will be installed by expert GRID staff alongside local job trainees.
• Mobile Energy Storage System. The City of Richmond is seeking funding to purchase one (1) RPS150 Mobile Energy Storage System (Mobile Energy System) to deliver clean, reliable, zero-emission power for City programs, projects, community events, and emergencies. The system is essentially a trailer- mounted unit equipped with rechargeable batteries that can store and supply electricity and supply power wherever it is needed. The unit includes a variety of electrical receptacles, enabling easy connection to regular and specialized power cables. The system’s initial deployment will support The Lot: Downtown Richmond Food Court. The system will be replacing diesel generators with electrical power that currently supplies power for City and community events, and reducing dependence on grid connections, improving air quality, and advancing Attachment 2. Catalyst Grant Application Project Description the City’s sustainability goals. The system’s initial deployment will support The Lot: Downtown Richmond Food Court, a weekly pop-up food truck event attended by hundreds of people per week that activates an underutilized parking lot, supports small local businesses, and brings programming to the downtown/BART station area. The system will also be available at for other community events and programs such as Music on the Main and Spirit and Soul, as well as for emergency use where a source of power is needed augmenting the City’s resilient infrastructure. This resource will be provided at no cost to vendors or event organizers. The Public Works Department will oversee delivery, operation, maintenance, and deployment of the Mobile Energy System, making it available for use across departments and at various community sites. This investment will expand the City’s capacity to provide flexible, environmentally responsible power solutions while supporting public events and essential services, piloting a scalable model for zero-emissions municipal operations.
• MLK Resilient Community Center. The proposed project will develop construction documents for the Resilient MLK Community Center as well as take the project through the environmental review process. The City will continue to conduct community engagement during the grant period, reporting ongoing progress to the community. The goal is to make the project ‘Shovel-Ready’ by having both the construction documents and environmental review completed so that the City can begin the bidding process for construction after the end of the grant period. By completing everything from schematic design through environmental clearance and construction documents, we significantly increase our competitiveness and eligibility for future construction-specific funding sources due to our high level of project readiness. The new MLK Center will replace a prior community center that was demolished in 2010 due to extensive water and structural damage that occurred during a major storm as well as vandalism that occurred after the storm. The community center was a gathering place for residents, particularly serving the community in the Coronado and adjacent Santa Fe neighborhoods on the south side of Richmond. It served local clubs, teams, and after-school programs for youth, as well as adults and seniors, and will also be able to support the whole community through climate emergencies (extreme heat, fires, among others) and emergency preparedness.
• Asthma Health Promoters Expansion. LifeLong Medical Care (LifeLong), a Federally Qualified Health Center serving low-income communities since 1976, operates the William Jenkins Health Center (Jenkins) at the center of this community, where 92% of patients live below 200% of the federal poverty level and 73% identify as BIPOC. LifeLong will expand and strengthen its established Asthma Health Promoter program through Jenkins to serve high-risk patients and families through targeted home visits, and the broader Richmond community through health education, outreach, and resource navigation. Through a coordinated model that extends care beyond the clinic, licensed clinical providers at Jenkins will identify and refer high-risk patients for home visit services and provide clinical oversight to ensure services align with patients' care plans.
Attachment 2. Catalyst Grant Application Project Description LifeLong's community engagement team, working with Community Health Promoters recruited from the same neighborhoods, will deliver culturally and linguistically responsive outreach, structured home visits, and practical education to help families reduce indoor asthma triggers, improve air quality in the home, manage medications, reinforce Asthma Action Plans, and navigate follow-up care and remediation resources when environmental hazards are identified. The project will serve at least 20 high-risk households per year, with a goal of reaching 100 households over the five-year grant period.
• Youth Fellows Program continuation. This project proposes the implementation of a comprehensive youth fellowship program aimed at fostering environmental literacy, civic engagement, and workforce development among youth in Richmond. The program will deliver a structured series of educational modules; which including: climate Equity, Community Organizing and Advocacy, Air Quality Impacts and Policies, and BAAQMD grant in-depth dive.
These modules will be complemented by targeted workforce development training such as job shadowing, resume and cover letter development, public speaking, social media strategy, and community engagement. Together, these components are designed to equip participants with both the knowledge and practical skills necessary to become informed leaders and advocates within their communities. With the goal of the youth fellows carrying their learned achievements forward recycling both their knowledge and their accomplishments to foster continued growth and impact within their communities wherever they go.
Fellows will participate in hands-on efforts such as organizing and joining community bike rides, providing bike safety and riding lessons, conducting park clean-ups, leading informational tables, and volunteering at BAAQMD-related projects and events. The fellowship will culminate in a community-facing capstone project in which youth fellows design and present creative works that examine local environmental challenges and highlight the role of the BAAQMD initiative in addressing them. Fellows will have the opportunity to explore a range of mediums media including visual art, video, and interactive installations to bring their projects to life. As part of the capstone experience, participants will share their insights with community members, showcasing their learning outcomes while demonstrating their contributions to advancing environmental awareness and equity.
• Advanced Energy Homes. This project will turn blighted homes into Advanced Energy homes that can provide first-time low- and moderate-income homeowners with homes that can not only affordable to buy but affordable also to live in. Our process prevents the issues caused by abandoned homes, brings neighbors together, and increases available affordable housing stock. We work with the community to identify priority sites, conduct environmental assessment and remediation, renovate the structures, install advanced energy features, connect to a virtual power plant network, and sell to first-time low- and moderate- income buyers. Advanced energy electric homes have high- performance heating and cooling systems as well as appliances so living in them makes it safer, Attachment 2. Catalyst Grant Application Project Description healthier, and more comfortable while using less energy, which means lower utility bills than homes of comparable size. Because Advanced Energy homes do not burn any gas, the home has healthier, cleaner indoor air and is more environmentally friendly. Advanced energy homes are also construction- ready for solar and battery storage, and if it has a garage, can include a high-speed electric vehicle charger if they have a garage.
• Resilience Center Programming. RYSE will implement a Facilities & Environmental Health Pathways Program, a paid, hands-on workforce development internship engaging 10 Richmond youth (2 per year) in facility operations, air quality monitoring and management, and emergency preparedness. Through a 9-month internship based at the RYSE Resilience & Liberation Hub, participants will gain real-world experience maintaining a community-serving facility, improving indoor air quality systems, and supporting safe, healthy environments during climate-related events and emergencies.
Through peer-to-peer workshops and educational and outreach development, interns will engage at least 1,000 community members on emergency preparedness, air quality education, and reducing health impacts of poor air quality. Richmond faces disproportionate exposure to air pollution and increasing climate-driven emergencies, but many youth and families lack access to trusted, community-based resources and training to respond. The program will address this gap by preparing local young people to access and deliver critical environmental health and safety supports. In strengthening RYSE’s role as a Resilience Hub staffed by trained youth leaders, the project will build neighborhood-level capacity to respond to poor air quality events, reduce health risks for vulnerable residents, and create pathways into stable, non-extractive careers for young people. In doing so, our program will advance both immediate community health protection and build towards long-term economic resilience in Richmond.
• Environmental Data Fellowship. The Black Neighborhood (TBN) Community Environmental Fellows project is a focused youth leadership and community engagement pilot within the BAAQMD collaborative application. Led by TBN, this project creates a practical pathway for Richmond youth to build environmental justice knowledge, leadership skills, civic awareness, and public-facing experience while supporting selected resident-facing activities connected to the coalition’s broader work. Through two paid fellowship cohorts over a 3-year period, TBN will combine environmental justice learning, introductory data recognition and interpretation, professional guest instruction, field-based partner exposure, and public-facing coalition support in a practical and achievable model.
Each cohort will culminate in a Community Environmental Leadership Portfolio and final presentation or briefing that highlights fellows’ learning, partner experiences, and community-informed observations.
• Richmond ACT - Community-led Assessment. Richmond ACT: Advancing Climate Transformation Together is a multi-year initiative designed to address Attachment 2. Catalyst Grant Application Project Description the climate needs of underrepresented families and advance health justice in Richmond, CA. Grounded in community-based participatory research, there will be collaboration with local environmental experts and residents most vulnerable to climate risks—low-income families, BIPOC communities, immigrants, and renters—to identify their clean energy needs and health equity priorities. The initiative has four key goals:
1. Enhance impacted residents’ understanding of climate health, air quality, and equity.
2. Assess the clean energy needs of vulnerable communities.
3. Develop a Richmond Climate Health Road Map, outlining community priorities and recommendations for climate equity, resiliency and energy efficiency.
4. Increase resident leadership and advocacy for climate health justice.
By directly engaging impacted residents, this initiative will identify community needs, build leadership, and tackle the structural barriers driving climate inequity.
It will increase access to programs that mitigate climate impacts and drive advocacy for policies and investments that prioritize Richmond’s most vulnerable communities. Primarily volunteer-led, Richmond ACT delivers cost-selective results while laying the foundation for sustainability and scalability. Focused on engaging underrepresented residents in building leadership and advocacy for climate health in Richmond, this initiative is critical to creating equitable, community-driven climate solutions. Project partners include Rising Juntos, Healthy & Active Before 5, and Urban Habitat, and others to be determined.
• Media Campaign & Engagement. STEAM the Streets will produce high-quality, community-centered storytelling that highlights local air quality and climate solutions across Richmond. In Year 1, this work will focus on highlighting solar installations and energy-efficiency upgrades for low-income homeowners in partnership with MCE and GRID Alternatives, capturing real-time footage and stories that illustrate how clean energy investments are reducing emissions, lowering energy costs, and improving quality of life in frontline communities. In Year 2, this work will focus on highlighting RCF’s efforts to reclaim blighted homes, integrate advanced energy features, and make them available to low- and moderate-income first-time homebuyers. This work will illustrate how housing revitalization and energy efficiency can reduce emissions, improve living conditions, and expand access to sustainable homeownership opportunities in frontline communities. In Year 3, this work will focus on highlighting tree planting and rain garden installations, with a focus on neighborhoods most impacted by pollution. This work will illustrate how urban greening strategies can reduce air pollution, improve environmental health, and create more resilient and livable communities. In Year 4, this work will focus on highlighting LifeLong Medical Care’s Asthma Health Promoters Program, which delivers community-based education, outreach, and in-home support to residents impacted by asthma and poor air quality. In Year 5, this work will focus on highlighting efforts at the MLK Community Center, including the completion of construction documents and Attachment 2. Catalyst Grant Application Project Description environmental review to support rebuilding a community center that was previously torn down. Through real-time footage and storytelling, this work will illustrate how thoughtful planning and redevelopment can contribute to healthier environments, improved community infrastructure, and long-term resilience in neighborhoods impacted by pollution. The campaign will bring increased visibility to these efforts, heighten awareness of available resources and solutions, and broadcast this local movement so that Richmond residents of all ages are more aware of and connected to the work happening in their community.
• Evaluation. The UC Berkeley, Center for Global Healthy Cities will support the City and organization to evaluate the outcomes of the initiatives.