Low-Income and Disadvantaged Communities: Section 134(a)(1) of the Clean Air Act provides that grants can be used to provide financial assistance and technical assistance “to enable low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy or benefit from zero-emissions technologies.” “Low-income and disadvantaged communities” means Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST)-identified disadvantaged communities, EJScreen-identified disadvantaged communities, geographically dispersed low-income households, and properties providing affordable housing, as defined below.

• CEJST-Identified Disadvantaged Communities: All communities identified as disadvantaged through version 1.0 of the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST), released on November 22, 2022, which includes census tracts that meet the thresholds for at least one of the tool’s categories of burden and land within the boundaries of Federally Recognized Tribes.

• EJScreen-Identified Disadvantaged Communities: All communities within version 2.2 of EJScreen that fall within either (a) the limited supplemental set of census block groups that are at or above the 90th percentile for any of EJScreen’s supplemental indexes when compared to the nation or state or (b) geographic areas within Tribal lands as included in EJScreen, which includes the following Tribal lands: Alaska Native Allotments, Alaska Native Villages, American Indian Reservations, American Indian Off-reservation Trust Lands, and Oklahoma Tribal Statistical Areas.

• Geographically Dispersed Low-Income Households: Low-income individuals and households living in Metropolitan Areas with incomes not more than 80% AMI or 200% FPL (whichever is higher), and low-income individuals and households living in Non-Metropolitan Areas with incomes not more than 80% AMI, 200% FPL, or 80% Statewide Non-Metropolitan Area AMI (whichever is highest). Federal Poverty Level (FPL) is defined using the latest publicly available figures from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Area Median Income (AMI) is defined using the latest publicly available figures from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Metropolitan Area and Non-Metropolitan Area are defined using the latest publicly available figures for county-level designations from the Office of Management and Budget. Statewide Non-Metropolitan Area AMI is defined using the latest publicly available figures from the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s CDFI Fund, with an adjustment for household size using the U.S. Department of Housing Development’s Family Size Adjustment factor.

• Properties Providing Affordable Housing: Properties providing affordable housing that fall within either of the following two categories: (a) multifamily housing with rents not exceeding 30% of 80% AMI for at least half of residential units and with an active affordability covenant from one of the following federal or state housing assistance programs: (1) Low-Income Housing Tax Credit; (2) a housing assistance program administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), including Public Housing, Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance, Section 202 Housing for the Elderly, Section 811 Housing for Disabled, Housing Trust Fund, Home Investment Partnership Program Affordable Rental and Homeowner Units, Permanent Supportive Housing, and other programs focused on ending homelessness that are funded under HUD’s Continuum of Care Program; (3) a housing assistance program administered by USDA under Title V of the Housing Act of 1949, including Sections 514 and 515; or (4) a housing assistance program administered by a Tribally designated housing entity, as defined in Section 4(22) of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (25 USC § 4103(22)) or (b) naturally-occurring (unsubsidized) affordable housing with rents not exceeding 30% of 80% AMI for at least half of residential units.

         (Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Solar for All Terms and Conditions)