Windham will receive an $80,000 Community Action Grant from the Community Resilience Partnership to support a residential preparedness program focused on emergency readiness, energy efficiency and connecting residents with services.
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| Windham will receive an $80,000 Community Action Grant from the Community Resilience Partnership of Maine to support a residential preparedness program focused on emergency readiness, energy efficiency and connecting residents with resources during severe storms and flooding. PHOTO BY KEITH MANK |
Starting in 2024, Maine kicked off awarding $69 million in climate resilience grants, funded through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Resilience Regional Challenge. The grants represent one of the largest investments in climate resilience ever in Maine history. Maine was one of 10 states to share a total of $575 million in Federal funding for climate resilience authorized through the Inflation Reduction Act.
Over the next five years, Maine will implement three integrated climate resilience-building strategies that advance the recommendations outlined in Maine Won't Wait (PDF), Maine’s Climate Action Plan, and collectively build the capacity of underserved, rural, and Tribal communities. Strategies include building enduring community resiliency, reducing climate impacts through nature-based solutions and investments in green infrastructure and strengthening the resilience of working waterfronts.
Windham’s Residential Preparedness Program was developed in conjunction with Age-Friendly Windham and is intended to connect residents with energy and emergency preparedness coaches and other services that can address immediate needs and strengthen long-term resilience.
“This grant will give Windham residents practical, trusted help to address immediate needs, find ways to make their homes more energy efficient and prepare for severe weather,” Nangle said. “I’m grateful to the town, Age-Friendly Windham and all the local partners who worked together to build a program around what residents actually need.”
He said that funding for this initiative comes from both state and federal sources, including state general funds authorized by the Maine Legislature and a five-year Climate Resilience Regional Challenge grant awarded to the State of Maine by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration two years ago.
The Community Action Grants were made available through the Community Resilience Partnership, a program established by Gov. Janet Mills in 2021 to support local governments in undertaking projects that increase resilience to climate effects and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The Community Resilience Partnership has grown to include 308 towns, cities, and tribal governments representing 81 percent of Maine’s population. So far, the program has funded more than $29 million for projects in 305 different communities across the state.
“Investing in stronger infrastructure and energy efficiency helps communities withstand and recover faster from severe storms, saving money and easing pressure on local property taxpayers,” Mills said. “I’m proud that my Administration’s Community Resilience Partnership has invested more than $29 million to empower hundreds of Maine communities to strengthen their resilience and secure a strong future for generations of future residents.”
Samantha Horn, the Director of the Maine Office of Community Affairs, says the Community Action Grants are making a difference.
“Maine communities are proposing innovative and forward-looking projects that will increase their resilience and save tax dollars in the future,” Horn said. “The Maine Office of Community Affairs is pleased to be able to offer this easy-to-access funding to support them.”
“The fact that the most recent round of Community Action Grants will support 26 projects submitted by first-time municipal applicants demonstrates the Office’s dedication to making this valuable program accessible to communities of all sizes and capacities across Maine, and its willingness to meet municipal leaders and residents where they are,” Conlow said.
Celina Cunningham, Acting Commissioner of the Department of Energy Resources, says that investments such as these in energy efficiency, local clean energy projects, and community resilience can help lower energy costs and make taxpayer dollars go further.
“At a time when global energy prices have been volatile, these grants are helping towns and municipalities reduce energy use, strengthen critical facilities, and deliver savings for local residents and businesses,” Cunningham said. <
