Overview
- The Washtenaw County Office of Community and Economic DevelopmentAnn Arbor’s sustainability team has collaborated to create America’s first carbon-neutral neighborhood. The goal is to decarbonize approximately 30 homes in the Bryant neighborhood of southeast Ann Arbor. The grant request is for up to $2,000,000 from the U.S. Department of Energys Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
- The grant can be used to install solar panels, community building and workforce development, weatherization and other home improvements that conserve energy.
- The median income of the Bryant neighborhood is 40% lower than Ann Arbor’s. Ann Arbor’s average is $75,000, Bryant $45,000. 38% of Bryant residents are from abroad, 55% identify as non-white, and 60% of households are families. These groups are more likely to be energy-burdened. Bryant residents account for more than a third of those who are energy-burdened. They spend more that 6% of their income to pay for energy costs. (Source: https://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Bryant-Ann-Arbor-MI.html) Residents making less than 200% of the federal poverty level (in 2022, around $27,000 for a family of four), are eligible for funding.
- National studies show that households who receive weatherization services can expect their heating costs to drop 20 to 25%. At today’s fuel costs, this amounts to a savings of around $300 Fuel costs will continue to rise, resulting in even greater savings. (Source: *directly quoted* https://www.benefits.gov/benefit/1861)
- mlive – Ann Arbor – Teresa Gillotti, OCED Director, stated in a memo that free home improvements would be offered for income-eligible households to fully electric and decarbonize their homes. She explained that this would involve deep energy retrofits and electrification of all appliances, as well as the installation of renewable energies. These home improvements can be costly, sometimes reaching into the thousands.
- Elevate Energy and DTE Energy at the University of Michigan, Michigan Saves and Homeland Solar are all committed to project partnership and financial support of 875,000.
- Missy Stults, Sustainability and Innovations Manager, says she is very excited about this project, and it will help the city get closer to its A2Zero climate change mitigation goals. She estimates that carbon neutrality in Bryant could occur by 2025-25.
Bryant neighborhood statistics
Race:
- White 2177 45%
- Black 1,148 23.9%
- Asian 842 17.5%
- Two or more races 325 6.8%
- Hispanic or Latino 295 6.1%
- Another race 20 0.4%
Income distribution:
- 109 Prices Below $10,000
- 234 $10,000 – $19,999
- 322 $20,000 to $29,999
- 170 $30,000-$39,999
- 170 $40,000-$49,999
- 259 $50,000 – $59,999
- 157 $60,000 – $74,999
- 133 $75,000 – $99,999
- From 116 $100,000 to $124,000.
- 95 $125,000 to $149,000.
- 80 $150,000 to $199,999
Household makeup
- Bryant: 59.3% Ann Arbor, 32.9%
- Here is the percentage of married couples (among all households).
- Bryant: 29.7% Ann Arbor : 30.7%
(Source: *directly quoted* https://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Bryant-Ann-Arbor-MI.html)
Dr. Missy Stults
Dr. Missy Stults, the Sustainability and Innovations Manager at the City of Ann Arbor, is her title. She works with all city operations, residents and businesses, the University of Michigan, non-profits and other stakeholders to make Ann Arbor one of America’s most sustainable and equitable cities. Prior to joining the city, Missy worked with indigenous communities and local governments to achieve their climate goals. Missy holds a PhD from the University of Michigan in urban resilience, a Masters of Climate and Society from Columbia University, and undergraduate degree in Marine Biology and Environmental Science at the University of New England. [email protected] (Source: *directly quoted* https://www.a2gov.org/departments/sustainability/about/Pages/Our-Team.aspx)
Transcription
David Fair: This is Issues of the Environment, 89th WEMU. David Fair is my name and today we will be discussing Ann Arbor’s ongoing efforts in decarbonizing the city. We also have a new project. The city is aiming to create the nation’s first decarbonized neighborhood. Missy Stults will be here to discuss the details and when it will take place in Bryant on the southeast side. Missy is Ann Arbor sustainability & innovations manager. It was great to catch up with you again.
Missy Stults: David, it’s always a pleasure to speak with you. Thank you for the opportunity.
David Fair: What made Bryant the most suited to launch this project in Ann Arbor?
Missy Stults: Yes, there are several reasons. Bryant is one of the few affordable, naturally occurring housing options we have in the area. It’s a neighborhood that we would consider a first-line neighborhood. It is right next to the landfill. It is right next to the highway. It’s an area which, frankly, has been underinvested for a really long period. We were trying to find a solution to the climate crisis. We made a strategic decision to focus on those who were most affected by climate change and systemic racist. They would be the most benefited.
David Fair: This is a problem that continues to exist. The neighborhood has an average income that is significantly lower in comparison to the city average. It is mainly made up of minorities and families that have to deal with energy burden. This means that six percent of their income goes towards energy. Missy made the decision to focus on Brian. How much was statistical analysis, and how many was actually talking with people living there?
Missy Stults: Both. Bryant actually has 262 households, which are centered around Bryant Community Center. One of the levers we had was that we worked really, really closely together with Bryant Community Center. This Center is run by Community Action Network (CAN). We’ve done a lot of projects together including the fact that Bryant residents helped to hire Galen Hardy, the Office of Sustainability staff member or community engagement specialist. They came in, conducted interviews, and helped me identify the right candidate they wanted to engage with. So, we have a history of working with residents and CAN. That was a huge help. If you then overlay the statistics you can see a scenario in which you have the opportunity to do some equity and sustainability work together.
David Fair: What’s the price of decarbonizing Bryant and where’s the money coming from?
Missy Stults: Yeah. We actually applied for a grant last week to help decarbonize the 30 first homes in the neighborhood. So, that grant went to the U.S. Department of Energy. Fingers and toes, ears, legs and toes. It’s a strong proposal that has received a lot support from the community. So let’s hope it comes to fruition. The request is for $2 million, which includes weatherization services. Weatherization is a federal program. It is administered through the county’s Office of Community and Economic Development. This program helps individuals who are below 200 % or below the federal poverty limit to make improvements in their homes, comfort, and safety. But here’s the secret. Ann Arbor is expensive, so there are many people who are just below 200 percent of federal poverty. They don’t meet the criteria. They are not served by the market. They are not able to go out and get a loan from a bank. They won’t be able to get the same rates as you and me. So, they don’t have the means to get help. There’s also a segment of people who are too poor for weatherization. They might be eligible. Weatherization doesn’t cover a roof replacement or a hole that has been made in your wall.
David Fair: This would disqualify you from weatherization.
Missy Stults: Right. That’s right. This federal program allows you to weatherize homes so that they can make the necessary improvements. This was an incredible opportunity to get further and faster with the community in order to decarbonize.
David Fair: Missy Stults is our guest on 89 one WEMU’s Issues of the Environment. She is Ann Arbor’s sustainability & innovations manager. Let’s go a little deeper. You mentioned weatherization. But if I understood correctly, these homes could also become fully electrified. This means that all appliances will be retrofitted to connect to the electric grid.
Missy Stults: Yep, yep. This is where you can stack a lot of things. There is the weatherization rate. We want to live in comfortable, efficient homes. But we also want healthy homes. We all know that natural gas systems, especially those used for cooking, can ignite on site. Most people don’t live in homes with proper ventilation. This means they are inhaling toxic fumes. Due to the lack of proper ventilation, indoor air quality can be hundreds of thousands of times worse than what is legal outside. The program’s purpose is to help people electrify and switch over. This efficiency will also reduce the amount of electricity you use, which in turn will save you money on electric appliances. It can also include onsite solar and possibly even storage systems. You are generating your own electricity to power electric appliances. This will make your home cleaner, healthier, and more comfortable.
David Fair: There is obviously a movement toward renewables. You mentioned onsite sun. Are we talking about neighborhood solar or individual home solar?
Missy Stults: To start, we are talking about individual home solar. Another initiative is the creation of a sustainable energy utility. This would eventually allow us to connect these houses, sharing power. However, for now, we’re talking about your roof. It will power your home.
David Fair: We’re speaking with Missy Stults, Ann Arbor sustainability and innovations manager, on 89 one WEMU’s Topics of the Environment. Ann Arbor has its A2Zero Plan, and it hopes that the city will be carbon neutral by 2030. How far can Bryant be decarbonized to help you reach that goal?
Missy Stults: It’s a huge leap. It’s proving the concept. However, it’s also training workers. We now have more people who can do this work, good-paying local jobs, electricians and HVAC installers. This is part of the project that we submitted. It also means that we are buying a lot more materials to do the electrification work. This allows others to access the discounts we get from buying in bulk. This makes it easier for us and others to access the technologies, appliances, and services we need to decarbonize. It’s a really powerful job. It hasn’t been done. I didn’t ask you this, but I’m going just to insert. It’s a part of this project. It’s also about neighborhood stabilization, and making sure that intergenerational wealth stays with the residents of the neighborhood. So, that’s yet another layer of the project we’re working on.
David Fair: It is not the only area in Ann Arbor that is in dire need of assistance. Is this a program that will be expanded based on the success of this program?
Missy Stults: Yeah. One of the metrics we used–and put into the grant- -was that at least three Washtenaw County communities are replicating the model in the next two to three year, once we, you’re sure, get that grant. Bryant’s idea is not about drawing a line around Bryant to say, “This it!” It’s about figuring out how this can scale within our county. It’s not just for Ann Arbor but for all of Michigan. Also, sharing those lessons learned by creating replication resources and networking so it scales across country.
David Fair: Is there going be an application process for those who are eligible? Is it just a matter if we notify you when we start in your home?
Missy Stults: Yeah. This is because there are many families in this neighborhood in dire need. That’s why we’re here. There will likely be an application process. We began working on this. We are actually already in the area. We have been working in Bryant for 18 months, collaborating with residents to do some preliminary work to get to this point. There is a waitlist. Anyone interested in Bryant should come to the Bryant Community Center. Talk to anyone there. My team also works out of the Bryant Community Center. We can sign you up on the waitlist. We just run as soon as we know if we are successful.
David Fair: Based on averages, each resident will save approximately $300 on their energy costs.
Missy Stults: Potentially, even more. However, this is our initial estimate based upon what we are learning.
David Fair: This is not bad. This can make a big difference if you live hand-to-mouth. We can see that you are very confident about the grant process. When will you receive the final word that the grant has been approved and that money is on its way to you?
Missy Stults: Unfortunately, we are stuck in the black box of federal government decisionmaking. Who knows what the future holds? We’ll hopefully know by the end the summer. In terms of confidence, I think we won’t win this one. We have such an amazing team. I am so touched by the support letters from IBEW 252, our local union colleagues, from trades and business, that it just warms my heart. I know we will do this work, and we will find a way forward. Hopefully, the dollars will flow at the end this year. This team is determined to make sure that the dollars flow if they don’t. This work will come. We just need to find the right path to make it happen.
David Fair: What are you going do while you wait for a final determination?
Missy Stults: Yes. Yes. We have grant funding that we can use to do the preliminary research, outreach, and gathering some basic data. We received a grant from McKnight Foundation as well as a small grant through the US EPA. This will continue for the next few weeks. We’ll continue to be on the ground. We are also in touch with others from the Department of Energy. Federal grant dollars are beginning to flow out of the infrastructure bill. We are closely monitoring all of them. We have a lot invested in that millage to help Bryant and anyone else in the community buy down the appliances and equipment they want. This is another tool we might have to help us accomplish this work.
David Fair: There are many reasons to be cautiously optimistic and continue moving forward, don’t you think?
Missy Stults:You must.
David Fair: There is no other way to go.
Missy Stults: We have to figure it.
David Fair:Thank you so much, for taking the time to visit today. I appreciate it. I hope you will keep in touch with us to keep us updated on progress.
Missy Stults: Anytime. David, thank you for all you do.
David Fair: Missy Stults, Ann Arbor sustainability & innovations manager. She’s our guest on Issues of the Environment. You can find more information about today’s topic at WEMU dot org. This weekly feature, which is produced in partnership the Office of the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner and airs every Wednesday, can be heard. I’m David Fair and this year’s 89 One WEMU FM and WEMU HD1 Ypsilanti.
Your financial support makes it possible to produce non-commercial, fact-based reporting. Make a donation today to WEMUTo keep your community NPR station alive.
Like 89.1 WEMU on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
Contact WEMU News734.487.3363 or email us at [email protected]