Plan Highlights Potential for Sustainability and Equitable Climate Action as Catalyst for Economic and Community Development in Benton Harbor

City of Benton Harbor was one of 10 communities to receive funding through the 2023 round of the Partners for Places grant program, a joint initiative of The Funders Network and the Urban Sustainability Directors Network, which help fund efforts to create more equitable and resilient communities across.  

Michigan Sustainable Business Forum used the grant to hire a project manager to support sustainability initiatives in the city government, with an emphasis on identifying and developing proposals for federal and state climate action grants, sustainable materials management, and facilitating community partnerships, including an action plan, Sustainability as a Catalyst for Community and Economic Development in City of Benton Harbor.

The grant also supported community initiatives led by Benton Harbor Community Development Corporation, Project NEED Foundation, and Let Us R.E.S.T., and sponsored grant writing by Southwest Michigan Planning Commission.  It was made possible by first-year match funding from the Americana Foundation, with later support directly or indirectly from the Wege Foundation, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, Michigan Public Service Commission, City of Benton Harbor, Chicago Regional Food Fund, Minneapolis Foundation and Industrious Labs.

Project manager Dominique Edwards led the development of the Action Plan in collaboration with a Community Advisory Group that included representatives from City of Benton Harbor, Emerge Innovation Hub, Project NEED, Southwest Michigan Planning Commission, City of Benton Harbor Downtown Development Authority, Be Healthy Berrien and Abonmarche.

Sustainability as a Catalyst for Community and Economic Development in the City of Benton Harbor draws from the 2023 Best Benton Harbor Community Plan, the Ox Creek Revitalization Strategic Plan, and the Benton Harbor Master Plan. It aims to address critical areas such as climate change, clean energy, pollution remediation, sustainable housing, workforce development, water infrastructure, and food systems. Each category includes targeted action items and objectives tailored to the Benton Harbor community to improve residents’ quality of life and promote long-term environmental and economic resilience.

The concepts align with those established by the Biden-Harris Administration when it created the Justice40 Initiative through Executive Order 14008, which focused on tackling the climate crisis both domestically and globally.  The Justice40 Initiative was designed to address the longstanding environmental injustices faced by disadvantaged communities, which are often disproportionately affected by pollution, climate change impacts, and limited access to resources.

Under this initiative, the federal government committed to directing at least 40 percent of the benefits from specific climate and clean energy investments to these communities, aiming to rectify the cumulative environmental and economic burdens they have endured. Although Justice40 is not recognized by the Trump administration, it remains a priority of the State of Michigan in its investment decisions.

The action plan highlights current projects and initiatives that could be considered for funding, and provides a thorough outline of demographic background and context that establishes Benton Harbor as a community impacted by environmental injustice  The plan also includes community engagement data for potential inclusion in climate action proposals from city or community organizations.  It is the final deliverable of the MiSBF Partners for Places project. It is now available on the MiSBF website here. To align with the current posture of the federal government, the Justice40 initiative and environmental justice in general are not referenced in the report by name.  

Other communities receiving support during the 2023 round of Partners for Places grants included Charlottesville, Va.; Chelsea, Mass.; Cuyahoga County, Ohio; Flagstaff, Ariz.; Harris County, Texas; Marin County, Calif.; San Diego, Calif.; Seattle, Wash.; and Waco, Texas. 

During the first year of the grant, representatives from City of Benton Harbor, the community organizations, and the Forum participated in a peer learning cohort with the nine other communities.

At the conclusion of the P4P project this summer, Edwards left the Forum to serve as Planning Director for nearby Michigan City, Ind., her hometown.