Dear John,

We're in the second week of the 2024 legislative session, and we must make the case to lawmakers to continue making progress on climate. Will you urge your lawmakers to pass the strongest climate budget possible in 2024?

We must continue funding the incredible climate programs we passed over the last few years. This is why one of our top three priorities for this session is asking for a $50 million climate budget that prioritizes two things: 

1) A $15 million investment in the the Healthy Homes Program to enable urgently-needed home repairs including health, safety and efficiency upgrades, and 
2) A $20 million investment in the Charge Ahead Electric Vehicle Rebate Program to make new and used electric vehicles more affordable and accessible for lower-income Oregonians. 

Together, these continued investments in successful programs that are running out of funding will lower the cost of living, improve health and resilience, and reduce climate pollution.

The Healthy Homes Grant Program will help us keep seniors, low-income, and frontline families in their homes. Solving Oregon’s housing crisis is about more than building new housing, it’s about reducing the cost of essential home repairs so that low-income families can live safely in the homes we already have.

The Healthy Homes Grant Program covers essential home repairs not typically funded by other state or federal programs, and it’s likely to run out by 2025. Frontline communities, including people of color, low-income, rural, and disabled communities are at the highest risk. That's why we need to continue funding the Healthy Homes Grant Program.

We’re in a housing crisis and a climate crisis. Oregon must tackle both. Healthy Homes will help people on the frontlines stay housed by lowering the cost of living, improving health and resilience, and reducing climate pollution.

Our second major Climate Budget Priority is $20 million for affordable access to clean transportation through the Charge Ahead EV Rebates program. Everyone deserves a chance to participate in the green energy transition, but not everyone can afford to do so. The Charge Ahead Rebate offers low-and moderate-income Oregonians a $5,000 cash rebate for the purchase of a new or used EV in addition to a standard EV rebate. 

EV drivers can save thousands of dollars on fuel and maintenance costs compared to gas-powered cars. Increasing equitable access to EVs can improve household budgets and reduce climate and air pollution. Electrifying vehicles is a top priority to reduce climate pollution from our biggest source: the transportation sector. Will you ask your lawmakers to support a strong Climate Budget including funding for EV rebates?

Due to unprecedented demand, the Oregon Clean Vehicle Rebate Program, including the Charge Ahead Rebate program, ran out of funds, and the program entered suspension in 2023. Without more funding now, the program will not be able to stay open for more than two months this year. 

We are also eager for Oregon legislators to prioritize investments to ensure that other popular existing programs are adequately funded to stay on track to deliver their intended climate, health, and cost-saving benefits, including the Worker Climate Fund; the Solar + Storage Rebate; and the Oregon Rental Home Heat Pump Program.

Please urge your lawmaker to support a strong Climate Budget in 2024 today!

Thank you,

Julia DeGraw

Coalition Director, OLCV