“Affect by way of Infrastructure” – Whereas succinct, these phrases encapsulate Sol Methods’ dedication to driving optimistic societal affect. They’re a name to motion – a mission to empower and elevate the communities we function a part of an equitable transition to a sustainable power future. This effort is rooted in Sol Methods’ engagement with native leaders and companions to foster an strategy to sustainable infrastructure that pairs photo voltaic power initiatives with long-term investments in ecosystems and communities disproportionately impacted by local weather change.
On this version of our Infrastructure + Affect Highlight Collection, we pay homage to our associate, SOME, an interfaith community-based service group whose mission is to interrupt the cycle of poverty and homelessness by way of packages and companies that assist rework lives of people and households, their communities, and the techniques and buildings that have an effect on them. Every day, SOME strives to revive hope and dignity one individual at a time by way of its built-in “Entire Particular person Care” strategy. What started as a lunch line on the nook of North Capitol and Okay Avenue greater than 50 years in the past has flourished into an esteemed chief for reasonably priced housing, healthcare, rehabilitative companies, schooling, employment coaching, and meals safety all through Washington, D.C.
SOME is actively redefining reasonably priced housing within the District by making a secure basis the place its residents can discover their potential. SOME offers transitional housing packages for these incomes 30% or much less of the Household Median Earnings ($38,700 for a household of 4 as of 2021) whereas making certain that residents progress by instructing them to create budgets, monetary objectives, and sustainable cost plans. Since opening its first transitional housing program in 1986, SOME now operates a portfolio of over 1,300 reasonably priced housing items for single adults, households, and senior residents, making ready them for homeownership or market-rate rents by way of a step-by-step course of.
Take the Bonner Household, for instance. Their time dwelling in SOME’s two-year accelerated housing program helped them make nice strides. Throughout the pandemic, with this system’s assist, the Bonners saved over $14,000 in housing prices and greater than $800 in emergency financial savings, all whereas paying off their bank card debt and constructing a powerful credit score rating, permitting them to maneuver into a brand new dwelling within the District in 2022.
Picture credit score: The Bonner Household
This dynamic strategy to care is very important in a metropolis like Washington, D.C., the place up to now twenty years, the variety of reasonably priced housing items has decreased whereas the variety of high-cost housing items has multiplied. [1] The ensuing structural limitations proceed to have an effect on low-income residents’ capacity to afford secure and wholesome housing, meals, and utilities, amongst different requirements.
It’s due to these realities that Sol Methods stays dedicated to supporting neighborhood leaders like SOME to fill important gaps by leveraging the advantages of sustainable infrastructure resembling photo voltaic power, power effectivity and important dwelling well being and security upgrades to drive optimistic environmental and neighborhood impacts past the carbon discount inherent in clear power. Within the spirit of this partnership, on Could seventeenth, 2022, Sol Methods, FedEx, and SOME introduced a particular association that spreads the advantages of the Sol Methods-developed 915 kW rooftop neighborhood photo voltaic mission on the FedEx Categorical Eckington Place facility even additional into the District. FedEx is allocating the invoice credit generated from the photo voltaic set up, together with a supplemental money donation, to SOME to offset the annual electrical energy prices at two of its services positioned in Ward 5 – Weinberg Home, an reasonably priced housing facility that’s dwelling to twenty-eight households and Isaiah Home, dwelling to a day program for homeless adults with extreme and chronic psychological sickness. Past this rapid affect, decreasing the power burden of those services will improve SOME’s capacity to commit extra assets to initiatives that empower its shoppers to create long-term, sustainable change.
Sol Methods’ dedication to under-resourced communities is a precedence shared by the management and employees. On April twentieth, 2022, we joined SOME to rejoice Earth Day by engaged on beautification initiatives at Zagami Home – one among SOME’s housing websites the place Sol Methods had beforehand made contributions towards HVAC and power environment friendly equipment upgrades. The initiatives, which included planting of seasonal flowers, meeting of raised backyard beds, and mulching of playground areas revitalized Zagami’s grounds for residents to take pleasure in. Partnering with organizations like SOME exhibits how significant collaboration with communities may help to deal with native challenges and be certain that all communities take part within the clear power financial system. To study extra about how SOME drives affect by way of significant neighborhood engagement, please go to SOME’s web site at: SOME.org.
[1] District of Columbia DHCD 2019