San Francisco Environment Department wins $300,000 grant to Reduce Emissions and Improve Indoor Air Quality for Children and Families
SF Environment’s innovative electrification pilot will install heat pump water heaters at up to 30 residence-based child care centers in the City to ensure no one is left behind in the clean energy transition.
San Francisco, CA – Today, the San Francisco Environment Department (SF Environment) was joined by District 11 Supervisor Chyanne Chen, City leaders, and nonprofit partners to celebrate the launch of its child care electrification pilot, which is funded by a $300,000 state grant from TECH Clean California. The new heat pump water heater (HPWH) installation program serves child care centers located in disadvantaged communities and specifically focuses on centers that are operated out of residential homes—a model known as “family child care.” With the potential to install up to 30 new appliances in these facilities, this initiative will enhance the City’s commitment to children and families with additional, climate-focused resources while expanding health and resiliency for all.
Lerned Zint’s Corazones Daycare, a family child care center in the Excelsior, received the first of the pilot’s planned installations. A rapid, emergency installation was performed after one of the property’s existing gas water heaters broke down. “The City’s help was essential for my household and was very helpful for the daycare to continue working properly and without interruption,” said Lerned Zint, operator of Corazones Daycare. “The work the team did was very fast and professional.”
SF Environment’s electrification pilot builds upon Mayor Lurie’s Family Opportunity Agenda, ensuring child care facilities are not only financially accessible, but also safe, healthy, and energy-efficient. Replacing gas-powered appliances, including HPWHs, stoves, furnaces, and dryers, with electric equipment can improve indoor air quality, increase occupant comfort, and promote better health outcomes. The program also supports energy efficiency upgrades to the facilities, helping to lower long-term utility costs for participating child care providers while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Further, by leveraging residential HPWH incentives for small businesses that are ineligible for most commercial HPWH programs due to operating out of residential homes, SF Environment promotes affordability and ensures that no one is left behind in the move toward electrification.
“Every child in San Francisco deserves a safe, healthy space where they can learn and grow,” said Mayor Lurie. “This grant will deliver heat pump water heaters to child care providers, helping create more comfortable, safe spaces while building a more sustainable future for our city.”
SF Environment is partnering with Low-Income Investment Fund (LIIF), a nonprofit community development financial institution that strengthens the early childhood education sector through grantmaking and technical assistance to build, expand, and/or renovate facilities. The pilot builds upon LIIF’s existing child care renovation, repair, and expansion program, which operates through another City partnership with the Department of Early Childhood (DEC). LIIF contracts with DEC to administer various grants, supported by San Francisco Proposition C funds, to child care providers for projects such as efficiency upgrades and appliance repair and replacement.
LIIF aims for all new appliances installed through its renovation, repair, and expansion program to be electric. SF Environment is providing technical support and funding to test the feasibility of this approach, integrating electrification into what is typically a like-for-like replacement model for gas appliances. Learnings from the pilot will be used to propose changes to repair and replacement programs across the state.
“At LIIF, we’re committed to creating healthy, stable, and sustainable environments for children and the family child care providers who care for them,” said Elizabeth Winograd, LIIF Deputy Director. “By pairing our acquisition funding with the City’s clean‑energy investments, this project demonstrates what’s possible: long‑term stability for family child care providers, healthier indoor air for children, and a more resilient child care sector. We’re proud to partner with SF Environment and the Department of Early Childhood to advance equitable electrification and strengthen family child care homes across San Francisco.”
“Every day, family child care providers across San Francisco welcome children into their homes, supporting their learning, play, and growth,” said Ingrid Mezquita, DEC Director. “We know that racial and climate equity go hand in hand, and that all children should have the chance to grow up in a healthy environment, no matter where they live. At DEC, making sure families have access to safe and healthy spaces is at the heart of what we do. That’s why we’re working with SF Environment to help family child care homes create and maintain healthy environments for kids. By doing this, we’re making it possible for more families to find supportive, safe places where their children can thrive.”
The grant’s scope also includes electrification training and low-risk installation opportunities for San Francisco contractors. The green workforce development component of the grant complements the City’s other initiatives to train workers for the new green economy, ensuring the City can keep pace with future electrification.
“As regional rules begin phasing out gas water and space heaters in 2027, residents need practical options to switch to electric,” said Tyrone Jue, Director of the San Francisco Environment Department. “This grant helps deliver equitable electrification and expands local contractor capacity to meet that demand.”
Remaining site selection and installations will be completed throughout calendar year 2026. This is the fifth building electrification-related award that SF Environment has secured, bringing the Department’s grant total to $84 million since November 2022.
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SF Environment Contact: Alice Hur, [email protected]