Duwamish Valley Community Equity Program May 28, 2019 Item No. 7a Meeting Date: May 28, 2019 Elizabeth Leavitt Environment and Sustainability, Center of Expertise Rich Brown Georgetown Representative, Port Community Action Team Christina Billingsley Environmental Engagement, External Relations 1 Equity in Communities Valued at the Port • Century Agenda • Commission priority • Energy & Sustainability Committee • "Social license" to operate • Reduces project costs and inefficiencies • Equity Office Best practices in equity align with multiple Port commitments and operational interests. 2 Understanding Equity in Communities Our work started with an environmental focus, but soon shifted into a broader equity conversation. 3 Why Duwamish Valley? Our community experiences historic inequities and discriminatory practices: - Redlining - Industrial zoning - Income suppression Map source: Robert Nelson, LaDale Winling, et al.,"Mapping Inequality," American Panorama Discriminatory practices excluded residents' participation in economic mobility and civic life. 4 Inequitable Environmental Burdens • Our community experiences a disproportionate burden of environmental impacts: - Highway and freight traffic - Historic and current contamination - Railway and airplane noise - Private industry pollution - Lack of safe mobility options Multiple sources cause Duwamish Valley residents to face cumulative health and environmental concerns. 5 2013 Cumulative Health Impact Analysis Indicator Life expectancy at birth (years) Heart disease death rate per 100,000 Georgetown/ South Park Census tracts 109 and 112 Laurelhurst Seattle Census tracts 4100 and 4200 81.5 King County 73.3* 86.4* 81.5 202.9# 89.6* 138.4 137.8 Source: Public Health Seattle & King County *p=0.05 from both KC and Seattle average #p= 0.05 for KC average only When added together, multiple factors cause a "cumulative health impact" with significant health outcomes. 6 Launch of the Pilot Project • EPA technical assistance grant • 1 of 3 Ports selected in nation • April 2017 kickoff • Pilot project goals: - improve environmental health outcomes for communities affected by ports and associated goods movement facilities, and, - improve environmental performance at ports. To address these disparities, the pilot project followed best practices in equitable community engagement. 7 1. Investing in capacity building Port Community Action Team (PCAT) By launching the PCAT, the Port leveled the playing field for our community's ability to participate. 8 2. Two-way community engagement • Learning how to work together -Trained on equity, collaborative problem solving -Identified shared goals Community and Port partners learned and adapted to each other's ways of working. 9 PCAT-Port Shared Goals Community and Port Capacity Building for Collaboration Healthy Environment and Communities Economic Prosperity in Place Staff and community partners have identified three shared goals the Port has RCW authority to address. 10 3. Building Trust through Action Community and Port Capacity Building for Collaboration Collaborate on decision making that impacts the Duwamish Valley Gain skills and resources to participate in civic processes Align communication methods to foster relationship building Capacity building is a two-way process; community and Port staff gain transferable skills and knowledge. 11 Healthy Environment and Communities Develop a shared understanding of "the environment" Match community expertise with Port environment and sustainability commitments Build an inclusive green economy for all The pilot project opened up opportunities to build on each other's environmental efforts along the river. 12 Economic Prosperity in Place Target economic development programs to benefit near-Port communities Convene Port-related industries to support anti-displacement solutions Innovate career pathways that provide living wage jobs and training Addressing displacement of low income near-Port communities prevents "green-gentrification" outcomes. 13 4. Sustaining the Commitment • Motion - Establish an interdepartmental team - Formalize PCAT - Build Community Benefits Commitment - Leverage external partners - Identify funding for projects - Create annual evaluation process Community partners and Port staff worked together to identify long-term policy options to sustain the work. 14 Next Steps - December 2019 • Resolution with Community Benefits Commitment - Strategic roadmap - Shared definitions - Sustainable funding opportunities - Reporting structure to measure success - Collaborative action projects - PCAT-IDT work plans The Community Benefits Commitment will be a groundbreaking next step for equity at the Port of Seattle. 15 Our Port, Our Community 16