Sustainability

Goal

The goal of CAN's sustainability initiative is to make vulnerable communities more resilient, beginning in the Bryant community.

"What are you waiting for? It's a good program. It benefits us. So you might as well join and get your house fixed up a little bit - make it better than this."

-A Bryant resident describing what he would say to his neighbors about the project

CAN's Sustainability Efforts

About this work

CAN’s scope of Stabilization is growing! While this has historically looked like food distributions and eviction prevention, CAN is now being more innovative to help families make the most of their income - and not have to decide between putting food on the table and paying the bills. What if those utility bills were drastically decreased, or even disappeared?

Imagine families living more comfortably while tackling climate change. Since 2021, CAN has been partnering with the City of Ann Arbor’s Office of Sustainability and Innovations to co-design a path to sustainably enhance the quality of life in communities across Ann Arbor, beginning in CAN’s largest community: Bryant.

The “Bryant Sustainability Project” aims to identify and address issues in all 262 homes in Bryant while centering the goals, dreams, and aspirations of community members every step of the way. Over 1/3 of families in Bryant are energy-burdened. This project helps reduce that burden by tackling one of the root causes of housing stabilization: high energy costs.

Objectives

Prioritize the health, safety, and comfort of residents
Educate the community about sustainability and carbon neutrality
Center the goals, dreams, and aspirations of residents
Conduct energy efficient home retrofits
Build intergenerational wealth among families
Engage the community at every step of the process
Develop a green workforce in BIPOC and under-resourced communities
Improve residents’ quality of life
Create a toolkit to replicate this pilot work in other communities

Bryant Community Clean-Up Event August 2022 (2).JPG

Our Efforts

Since 2021, this work has blossomed into some of the most exciting and innovative work CAN has ever done. Click here to take a look at what we've already done, what we are currently doing, and the work we are preparing to do.