Bloomberg Philanthropies investment will help Dayton
Philanthropy group will pay to double size of Dayton’s sustainability workforce; billions also available in grants.
The city of Dayton is one of 25 U.S. cities that is going to get some help from Bloomberg Philanthropies to try to become more environmentally sustainable and combat climate change.
Funding from the Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities program will pay for three new staff members who will focus on using climate projects to create economic development opportunities in the city that benefit minority residents and businesses, said Meg Maloney, the city’s sustainability manager.
“This initiative is significant as it effectively doubles the city of Dayton’s workforce dedicated to climate and sustainability efforts,” she said.
Bloomberg is investing $200 million in 25 cities, which include Dayton, Akron, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus. The Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities program will fund the three new staff members in Dayton for three years.
Maloney said the new staff will work on climate mitigation projects at a time when there are hundreds of billions of dollars of federal funding available for investments in infrastructure and climate, thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.
In that way, the value of the Bloomberg assistance could turn out to be in the millions of dollars, city staff said.
“The grant aims to secure funding and implement programs for sustainability projects, fostering economic growth and savings for residents and businesses,” Maloney said.
The city currently has three employees in its sustainability department.
The city will benefit from technical assistance and tailored policies, and there will be collaboration between community organizations and stakeholders to attract public, private and philanthropic investments, she said.
City officials say the goal is to step up sustainability efforts and build a more resilient economy.
“Dayton has already taken big steps to implement sustainability solutions, and our successes are serving as a foundation for more and deeply meaningful work,” Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims Jr. said in a statement.
Potential projects could include developing affordable energy-efficient housing, increasing access to clean energy and investing in electric vehicles and infrastructure, according to Bloomberg Philanthropies.