Wildfire Smoke Clean Air Centers for Vulnerable Populations Incentive Pilot Program
Applications accepted through June 30th, 2022
The passage of AB 836 (2019) allocated a total of $5 million in grant funding to create a network of Wildfire Smoke Clean Air Centers for Vulnerable Populations across California through a combination of upgrading the ventilation systems of buildings located in areas affected by wildfire smoke and providing portable air cleaners to be deployed to areas being affected by wildfire smoke. The California Air Pollution Control Officers Association (CAPCOA) will be administering $925,000 of the total funding to groups which will run clean air centers for Californians impacted by wildfire smoke.
There are three types of projects which are eligible for funding through the Wildfire Smoke Clean Air Centers for Vulnerable Populations Incentive Pilot Program: a building’s HVAC system may be fully retrofitted to enable its ventilation system to filter particulate matter from smoke, high-efficiency filters may be purchased for buildings which have an HVAC system already able to accommodate them, or portable air filtration units may be purchased for use in short-term Clean Air Centers. Applications for each of these types of projects are available here:
- Type 1 – Ventilation Upgrade
- Type 2 – High-efficiency Air Filter Purchase
- Type 3 – Portable Air Cleaner Purchase
Applications for the Wildfire Smoke Clean Air Centers for Vulnerable Populations Incentive Pilot Program will be accepted via mail or email May 1st – June 30th, 2022.
If you have questions about the program or its requirements, please email Kathryn@capcoa.org or call 916-217-8027. Applicants may submit applications electronically by emailing them to Kathryn@capcoa.org or may choose to mail them to the following address: California Air Pollution Control Officers Association 1107 9th Street, Suite 801 Sacramento, CA.
Full Program Guidelines are available on the California Air Resources Board website.
We are pleased to offer applicants for Type 3 (Portable Air Filter Purchase) projects bulk pricing on 16 air cleaner units from 10 vendors. More information on bulk pricing for Type 3 applicants is available here.
Please note that facilities which receive HVAC upgrades, high-efficiency air filters, or portable air filters through this program must be available as publicly-accessible shelters during wildfire smoke events. The California Energy Commission’s CalSHAPE program may be more suitable for schools which do not wish to use their upgraded facility as a publicly-accessible Clean Air Center.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District, San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, and South Coast Air Quality Management District have each elected to administer their own AB 836 grant funding within their districts; if your shelter will be located in one of these districts, please contact your local air district. Contact information for each district is available at https://capcoa.org/air-districts/.