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Community Investments Office
Learn about the Air District’s newly established Community Investments Office and the plan to implement programs that direct funding to communities most impacted by air pollution.
Dear Bay Area Community
The Air District is preparing to invest millions in Bay Area communities impacted by air pollution to enhance public health, environmental quality, and community well-being. This funding comes from penalties collected from industry and businesses that violate Air District regulations.
Learn more about these funds: Community Investments Overview
Estimada comunidad del Área de la Bahía:
El Distrito del Aire del Área de la Bahía se prepara para invertir millones de dólares en las comunidades del Área de la Bahía afectadas por la contaminación del aire para mejorar la salud pública, la calidad ambiental y el bienestar de la comunidad.
Obtenga más información sobre estos fondos: Descripción de las Inversiones Comunitarias
The Air District established a new Community Investments Office to develop and manage tailored programs for funding streams generated by penalties and related funds.
In 2024, the Air District Board of Directors approved the Community Benefits Penalty Funds Policy to create an opportunity to direct significant resources back into the communities where air quality violations occurred. This penalty funds policy and related settlement funds have generated over $124 million for local and regional projects. The Air District is working on developing new approaches that actively engage affected communities in fund distribution, ensuring that community needs are prioritized.
Programming Coming in the Fall of 2025
The Community Investments Office will oversee the reinvestment of penalty funds into the impacted communities, ensuring that these resources are used to support local projects such as pollution mitigation efforts, community health programs, and the development of green spaces. The goal is to improve environmental quality and public health in areas that have been disproportionately impacted by air pollution.
The Community Investments Office is initiating efforts to empower and connect with communities. Dedicated teams are being established now to plan engagement with communities both locally and regionally, ensuring direct and meaningful connections. These teams will engage communities to inform them about and involve them with new investment opportunities.
The office is also building capacity to administer penalty funds, prioritizing equitable distribution to the communities most affected by air quality issues. The office will establish guidelines and create a transparent process for disbursing funds based on identified community needs and priorities. These actions are designed to build trust, drive meaningful improvements in air quality and community well-being, and lay the foundation for long-term success.
To provide more information and engage stakeholders, the office hosted a kickoff webinar and the recording is accessible below.
Meetings and Events
Stay Informed
To ensure that the investments are aligned with community needs, staff will actively engage with local leaders, community-based organizations, businesses, and residents. This collaborative approach will involve regular consultations, public meetings, and transparent decision-making processes, ensuring community members have a direct input on how funds are allocated.
Sign up to receive updates on the latest Community Investments Office activities via email notifications.
Penalty Assessments
For more information about agreements to resolve notices of violation, visit the Air District's Penalties and Settlements web page.
Last Updated: 4/4/2025