DPH presents CDC BRACE grant increase to address climate-related health risks

Matt Wolf, manager of the Climate Change and Health program at the San Francisco Department of Public Health, briefed the Budget & Finance Committee on a CDC BRACE grant increase May 25 that raises available funding by about $86,000 for a total award of roughly $300,000 to support climate-and-health activities.

Wolf described the BRACE program’s purpose and the department’s use of funds: mapping climate-health burdens, targeting communities most vulnerable to extreme heat and wildfire smoke, and co-chairing a citywide Heat and Air Quality Resilience (HACR) project to coordinate preparedness, mitigation and resilience strategies across agencies, academic partners and community organizations. "We are one of only 10 jurisdictions to receive this funding," Wolf said, noting the grant supports both research and operational planning.

Greg (DPH) explained the retroactive nature of the acceptance, saying federal paperwork and internal reviews delayed the formal introduction even though the department applied the funds once received. Committee members asked about near-term preparedness for the 2022 wildfire season and protections for vulnerable residents; Wolf said DPH is collaborating with the Department of Emergency Management and Bay Area Air Quality Management District on air cleaner distribution and is building an extreme-heat surveillance system to track hospitalizations in real time.

Why it matters: Committee members said the grant funds support both medium- and long-term resilience work and near-term preparedness steps that can reduce health impacts from heat and smoke. The committee forwarded the accept-and-expend resolution to the full Board with a positive recommendation.

What’s next: The item will be transmitted to the full Board of Supervisors for final approval.