Target: Philanthropic foundations and institutional donors committed to environmental justice and climate resilience

In 2024, a $20 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency was awarded to support urgently needed climate resilience infrastructure in Aberdeen Gardens, a community of enduring historical and cultural significance. The grant was intended to bolster flood protection, enhance public health, and strengthen long-term resilience for residents of one of Virginia’s most notable African American neighborhoods.

Without cause, the Trump administration has rescinded this critical funding, citing undefined changes in funding priorities. This action places Aberdeen Gardens— founded in 1934 as part of a New Deal-era housing initiative—at heightened risk from environmental hazards, and undermines longstanding public commitments to neighborhood resilience.

The cancellation of this grant threatens not only the physical security of Aberdeen Gardens’ residents, but also the integrity of the federal government’s role in supporting communities facing disproportionate climate impacts.

This is not merely a local matter. It represents a broader question of whether communities on the frontlines of climate change will be left behind when federal commitments falter.

The loss of this funding isn’t just a line item in a budget: it’s a blow to residents who can no longer reach their front doors when it rains, whose yards are washing away into creeks, whose homes are threatened by outdated infrastructure never built to handle today’s storms. As highlighted by CNN, Aberdeen Gardens represents more than history. It represents the daily struggle of families living with rising water and the consequences of promises unfulfilled.