Medford Looks To Fight Local Impact Of Climate Change

MEDFORD, MA — The city of Medford and its partner agencies issued a report on the creation of Resilience Hubs and identified action steps for creating climate resiliency and preparedness locally.

The report follows a six-month community process through a grant project funded by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs Municipality Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program. Both the community process and the resulting report focused on equity and accessibility of city programs and services, setting next steps to advance racial and health equity in climate community resilience.

The "Resilient Medford, Resilience Hubs" project integrates community resilience into climate preparedness, enhancing the city's adaptability to emergencies through collaborative community efforts. The report specifically seeks to better understand how the city and its partner agencies can work together to better prepare residents for the impacts of climate change.

The report lays out short- and long-term action items for addressing community concerns around climate resiliency planning and access to city resources:

1. Invest in community engagement by hiring local organizers of color to lead a Community Resilience Task Force.
2. Develop a coalition of community providers within the Task Force to develop processes to enhance partnerships and communication.
3. Involve City offices and departments in coordinating city-run services and promoting equitable community resilience, requiring a commitment to anti-racist policies.

Through a six-month community process, project teams sought answers to key questions to inform the creation of Resilience Hubs in Medford, including: What do our residents need in order to be most prepared? What do our community provider organizations need to do their work in emergencies? How can we work together to support our residents?

Resilience Hubs are designed to serve as community support centers before, during and after emergencies, including extreme weather events exacerbated by climate changes. Climate resilience is an environmental justice issue, as low-income neighborhoods and communities of color are often disproportionately more polluted, climate sensitive environments.

“The impacts of climate change do not affect everyone equally; social factors, such as age, health status, income, race and gender, all play a significant role," Board of Health Director MaryAnn O'Connor said. "Medford Resilience Hubs will build a more just and inclusive space for all of Medford’s residents, with the goal of opposing the structural inequities to prepare residents for emergencies, which will improve our community’s long-term public health."

The report focuses on three community climate resilience goals: social connectedness, information access, and resource access. In each goal area, community respondents identified a need for increased accessibility and inclusion. Suggestions include free language support and services, accessible and affordable public transportation – within and outside of Medford – and programs designed to foster a sense of belonging and trust, especially with immigrant residents and residents of color.

"To be a truly climate-resilient community and to ensure all of our residents are prepared and engaged in this process, we need to build trust and establish effective communication, especially with our most vulnerable populations, including communities of color and residents who speak languages other than English as a first language," Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn said. "I want to thank all of the staff and community members who worked so hard on this project and the report, and I look forward to expanding on this project by continuing to work with the community to achieve the short-term goals."

The full report can be found at www.medfordma.org/resiliency-hubs/.