Eastside Community Network

View Application

Project Description

Eastside Community Network (ECN) has been committed to addressing air pollution concerns in the community, particularly related to the Stellantis plant expansion, increased truck traffic, and addressing the health impacts of poor air quality. In early 2022, ECN began convening the resident-led Eastside Climate Action Coalition and the coalition identified air quality as a key priority in ECN’s advocacy agenda. Two of the actions that the resident coalition would like to move forward are: 

  1. increasing and coordinating the amount of air monitoring across the eastside and
  2. bringing awareness of air quality monitoring including paying residents to collect data.

For this project, ECN will initiate these two community-prioritized actions by 

  • Installing air monitors at neighborhood hubs and purchasing wearable air monitors to lend out to residents. 
  • Paying residents to collect data through wearable air monitors, 
  • Making air quality data available to the public, and 
  • Supporting efforts to centralize data and track air quality. 

These efforts will expand data collection on air quality, increase community engagement, and will build capacity for air quality advocacy among residents around climate issues in East Side Detroit. 

CAPHE mini-grant funds will be used to increase the number and availability of air monitors on the eastside as well as provide compensation to community leaders who participate in the project. ECN will continue to seek funding to maintain and expand this project.