Boulder County last month awarded the city of Longmont, in partnership with CU Boulder's Foundations for Leaders Organizing for Water and Sustainability (FLOWS) program, a $15,000 Environmental Sustainability Grant.
The award will be used for a pilot project to help train Longmont employees and community members on climate justice, as well as energy and water conservation work to incubate a FLOWS-like program in the city. FLOWS, a program of the CU Environmental Center involving students, partners with primarily low-income communities and residents on the installation of efficient energy and water fixtures in homes, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and utility bill costs while building the community's capacity.
The grant project will involve program development, community engagement, staff and resident training, supplies, equipment and evaluation.
In addition to furthering sustainability among area households, the grant seeks to provide workforce development opportunities for underrepresented communities. The award is one of nine given for 2018 with the other recipient communities including Boulder, Erie, Jamestown, Lafayette, Louisville, Lyons, Nederland and Ward.
In the city of Boulder, FLOWS works with Boulder Housing Partners to provide community-appropriate services to its clients. In 2017, FLOWS met with 473 residents in 169 homes, installing over 1,000 LEDs and over 150 upgraded showerheads. The program anticipates serving at least that many homes and residents this year.
