CONGRESSWOMAN BARRAGAN INTRODUCES FIRST-OF-ITS KIND BILL TO ESTABLISH ELECTRIC-VEHICLE CAR SHARING PROGRAM FOR PUBLIC HOUSING

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today Congresswoman Nanette Díaz Barragán (CA-44) introduced the EVs For All Act to establish an innovative grant program at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to support electric vehicle car sharing for public housing residents. The program would help public housing authorities and local governments invest in electric vehicles (EV), EV charging stations, community education and outreach, and other services and incentives to provide access to EVs for public housing residents.

“The success of our clean energy future requires that every resident, regardless of income, is included in the electric vehicle transformation,” Congresswoman Barragán said. “The EVs for All Act would provide resources for low-income residents in my district and around the country that are often left out of climate solutions. Congress must lead the way in ensuring that everyone has access to electric vehicles and clean air, including people who can’t afford to own a car.”

The bill would authorize up to $50 million in annual appropriations from 2022-2031 to launch a grant program with DoE which would implement the program in coordination with Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Transportation (DOT). The program would provide up to $1 million in funding to eligible entities to support EV car sharing services dedicated for residents who live in public housing projects. Research has shown that public housing residents face significant barriers in accessing reliable and affordable transportation of any kind – and especially zero-emission transportation. Additionally, too many communities of color face disproportionate air pollution yet completely lack access to EV charging infrastructure or zero emission vehicles even though operating EVs is much less expensive than operating gasoline powered cars.

Barragán’s office worked closely with the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) to develop the legislation. LACI is accelerating transportation electrification in the Los Angeles region through pilots and policy, as well as incubating startups and training individuals to join the green workforce. Among other community shared EV mobility pilots, LACI launched EV car sharing programs in public housing developments in Los Angeles, including one dedicated only to housing authority residents at Rancho San Pedro, in partnership with the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA).

“LACI’s mobility pilots have demonstrated that EV car sharing programs can improve the economic mobility and quality of life of residents whose communities face disproportionate air pollution and climate impacts,” said Matt Petersen, LACI’s president and CEO. “We applaud Congresswoman Barragán leadership in helping to scale this pilot to increase equitable access to transportation to shared EVs and charging in cities across the nation.”

“Going green shouldn’t be reserved for only a specific socioeconomic status,” said HACLA President and CEO Doug Guthrie. “This electric vehicle share initiative provides a benefit to the community and environment as a whole. The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles is proud to partner with LACI on this forward-thinking and innovative pilot program that brings both opportunity and access to our residents in a community that is often overlooked and underserved,” Guthrie added.

The bill is aligned with the Biden-Harris administration’s Justice40 Initiative, a commitment to invest 40% of the federal government’s investments in climate and clean energy in disadvantaged communities.

Barragn was joined by 23 original cosponsors of the EVs for All Act, including
Congressmembers: Adam Smith (Wash.), Yvette Clarke (N.Y.), Adriano Espaillat (N.Y.), Doris Matsui (Calif.), Andr  Carson (Ind.), Dina Titus (Nev.), Pramila Jayapal (Wash.), Ra l Grijalva (Ariz.), Sheila Jackson Lee (Texas), Donald M. Payne Jr. (N.J.), Ruben Gallego (Ariz.), Derek Kilmer (Wash.), Ted Lieu (Calif.), Marilyn Strickland (Wash.), Jimmy Gomez (Calif.), Mike Levin (Calif.), Chellie Pingree (Maine), Jim Costa (Calif.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (N.J.), Tim Ryan (Ohio), Jared Huffman (Calif.), Rick Larsen (Wash.), and Alan Lowenthal (Calif.).

A PDF of the bill is attached.

The EVs for All Act has significant support from environmental justice, clean tech, clean air, and environmental organizations.