Houston Climate Justice Zone

In 2022 the Hive Fund made initial multiyear grants to 20 groups working in and with organizations in Houston’s Northeast quadrant to meet community-identified needs of increased resilience and energy efficiency, affordable clean energy access, and equitable and clean mobility. By centering community vision as the core of this grant strategy, we honor a long history of strong community organizing and leadership in these neighborhoods, as well as the call to prioritize those hit first and worst by pollution and climate impacts.

The Hive Fund hired trusted project management and coordination consultants to foster collaboration and help groups prepare for new federal funding opportunities. These consultants helped convene a new NE Houston Collaborative, facilitating partnerships with allies in city and county governments, and helping connect groups with tailored technical assistance, including a customized primer to help groups understand the different federal funding opportunities.

In spring 2024, a project groups piloted to install solar and battery along with emergency supplies on homes and buildings in the community won funding to expand through the EPA’s Solar for All program, in partnership with Harris County. Next phases of work include applying for an EPA Community Change Grant and Thriving Communities grants, as well as co-designing and implementing home repair, weatherization/efficiency, and solar loan products for low- to moderate-income households in partnership with the Clean Energy Fund of Texas, a nascent Texas green bank supported by the Hive Fund that was recently included in a $5 billion award through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. The collaborative, which is now being coordinated by Houston in Action, was also selected to participate in the Design Workshop Foundation’s inaugural Community Capacity Building Initiative.

resources for understanding federal finance opportunities

IRA 101 for grantee partners

IRA and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding Opportunities: A Primer for Northeast Houston Communities

The learnings from this emerging work in Houston are informing our approach as we fundraise for expanded grantmaking additional zones across the South. To learn more about funding partnerships, contact nandini@hivefund.org.

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