San Francisco commission approves environmental justice and 0‑waste grants totaling hundreds of thousands

The San Francisco Commission on the Environment on March 28 approved a package of outgoing grants that the department says will support neighborhood‑scale building electrification pilots and several 0‑waste programs across the city.

Cindy Comerford, the department's climate program manager, told the commission the Environmental Justice grant cohort will focus on building decarbonization. "We were fortunate enough this year to reactivate our environmental justice grant program and for this first cohort we decided to focus on building decarbonization," Comerford said. She named Emerald Cities Collaborative as a grantee that received $100,000 and said San Francisco Bay Physicians for Social Responsibility received a two‑year $100,000 grant to partner with Bayview Hunters Point Community Advocates on outreach and an electrification pilot aimed at improving health outcomes.

The commission also reviewed the department's 0‑waste grant round. Alexa Kelty, residential 0‑waste senior coordinator, said the department received 20 applications requesting more than $2.7 million but had $720,000 available and recommended funding 10 applicants. Among the recommended projects are the Agricultural Institute of Marin (a program to distribute 20,000 reusable cotton market bags), programs to reduce contamination in multiunit housing recycling, food‑rescue partnerships that expect to recover tens of thousands of pounds of food for redistribution, and continued support for Garden for the Environment's composting education and Get Up training program.

Several grantee representatives addressed the commission in support. Avni Jamdar of Emerald Cities Collaborative said the group will work with local partners to design neighborhood electrification projects in the Mission or Excelsior and to prioritize "high road" jobs and equitable contracting. Patrice Sutton, representing San Francisco Bay Physicians for Social Responsibility, emphasized health benefits from electrification and community education.

Commissioner Hunter moved to approve the resolution authorizing the grants; Commissioner Bermejo seconded. The commission adopted a small amendment to correct two typos in the draft resolution and then approved the grant package in a roll‑call vote of commissioners present.

What happens next: the approved awards move forward under the resolution filed for the commission record. The department said many of the grants are two‑year projects and will return to the commission and public with implementation updates and opportunities for follow‑up oversight.