Reso 2021-113 Adopt 2021 CAP and Addendum to 2035 General Plan

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[ME na iroropfit[.7: Social Inequities and Climate Vulnerability Race is a major determinant of life quality and outcomes, and in the United States, if is tied to income and wealth. Since race impacts resource access and health conditions, it is a reliable predictor for climate vulnerability and risk. Historically and currently, institutions and structural systems drive and perpetuate inequitable distribution of resources, access to opportunities, and poor life outcomes that many frontline communities face. Examples include San Leandro's history as a sundown town,24 redlining,25exclusionary housing policies, forced removal of Indigenous communities, and Jim Crow segregation. Not only did these policies exacerbate the wealth and income gap between white families and families of color, they also resulted in a greater number of lower -income and communities of color living in areas at greater risk of climate impacts such as flooding, urban heat islands, and poor air quality. Furthermore, the lack of financial resources and existing infrastructure such as affordable public transit or green spaces may increase challenges for frontline communities to respond to or cope with climate events, as shown in Figure�. This puts frontline communities in a bind —the communities most vulnerable to climate change are least likely to have resources to adapt to climate change. In addition to these patterns, recent increases in immigrant populations in San Leandro without significant increase in language access support points to gaps in people's ability to voice their concerns and get needs met.26 Many in the Asian and Latinx communities distrust government institutions based on cultural trauma and past experiences in their ancestral lands. Such distrust can make it difficult for communities to access certain resources and information. Many of these systemic issues are larger than any one person or the City of San Leandro and by the nature of root causes, do not have quick fixes or simple solutions. National and State legislation, such as the Fair Housing Act and requirements for an environmental justice element in General Plans are starting points. The City has begun the process of examining its policies and developing an equity plan with a team of consultants, internal staff, and community members to address these roof causes that result in heightened vulnerability to climate impacts. In addition, the City has some programming and policies focused on reaching frontline communities, such as resilience hubs, transit -oriented affordable housing development, and multilingual translation during public meetings and outreach campaigns. As the CAP implementation progresses with equity at its center, more policies and practices will be developed to help the City address these gaps. The equity frameworks described below provide a roadmap for how the City and communities can work together to identify the problem areas and come up with solutions. San Leandro 2021 Climate Action Plan Page 11