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Beyond installing solar, a major goal of the Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) Program is to train workers for a renewable, fossil-fuel-free economy. By providing paid job training opportunities with every solar installation, SOMAH helps workers acquire or strengthen practical skills for the solar industry and access opportunities to network with solar contractors and industry leaders. For Oscar Flores, a former SOMAH job trainee from El Monte, SOMAH opened up new a new career path.

As an undergraduate student majoring in Electrical Engineering at UC San Diego, Oscar was aware of career opportunities in renewable energy. However, he did not consider this a career path for himself until he began volunteering on solar panel installations with GRID Alternatives.

“I knew the solar industry was a good place to be career-wise, but I did not really consider it for myself until I started doing solar installations. That opened up the world for me, and I have not looked back since.”

Through this relationship with GRID, Oscar was able to participate in a paid job training opportunity with SOMAH in February 2020. He worked on a project installation at the Loma Sierra Apartments, in Loma Linda, CA over the course of four weeks, under the guidance of the construction team. Oscar helped to install a 95kW producing solar system for 24 units. Oscar emphasizes that his SOMAH experience was a powerful one that taught him many skills, such as how to work on a pitched roof. The opportunities Oscar had access to with SOMAH went beyond the hands-on experience in the field. He was also able to network and connect with the solar contractors.

Oscar credits SOMAH job training for laying the foundation for his career path, “the skills I learned from people [in the construction team] like Angel, Miguel, and Derek were invaluable, my knowledge around solar energy went from zero to 100%.”

After completing his training, Oscar began working for Motive Energy, in Victorville, CA, where he is currently a systems engineer, a position he feels his time with SOMAH prepared him to attain. He is also studying photovoltaic system design for residential and commercial properties, and working on a special project in West Covina, CA, close to where he grew up.

At EHC, we are working with SOMAH to bring these job training opportunities and the benefits of solar to EJ communities in San Diego and National City. To learn more about job training opportunities with SOMAH, visit the SOMAH website here or contact Monica de la Cruz at monicad@staging.environmentalhealth.org. You can also follow and like SOMAH on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.

Do you qualify for a free air monitor and purifier in your home?

EHC is partnering with the County of San Diego, the San Diego Air Pollution Control District and the Port of San Diego on the PAIR Program to provide over 500 Portside residents with a FREE air monitor and air purifier to improve air quality in their homes.

Call the PAIR Hotline 619.603.7758 today to sign up while supplies last! Click below to learn more.

The Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) program is uniquely designed to prioritize tenant benefits and opportunities. Unlike similar iterations of previous clean energy programs, at least 51% of the solar energy system must serve tenant energy needs, and property owners are prohibited from passing on costs associated with solar installation or maintenance by raising rents.

But, financial and environmental benefits are not the only ways SOMAH seeks to do right by low-income renters. What sets SOMAH apart is that tenant education must be incorporated into every single project. Historically, the energy system, including renewable energy programs, has been inaccessible, difficult to navigate, and intimidating. SOMAH’s tenant education requirements aim to reduce confusion and increase buy-in from tenants by informing them about changes to their utility bill after the SOMAH system is turned on, and by introducing them to SOMAH’s paid job training opportunities and energy efficiency tips.

The SOMAH host customer (either the property owner or solar contractor) is required to sign two affidavits (a legally binding oath) that provide meaningful benefits and protections for tenants.  Firstly, tenants must be informed that they are entitled to economic benefits in the form of utility bill savings from the SOMAH solar PV system. Secondly, property owners or contractors must make sure that tenants receive multiple touchpoints of tenant education materials, and these materials must be provided in the languages that the tenants speak.

Oftentimes In social justice movements, well-meaning advocates try to represent an oppressed group’s struggles or concerns without directly consulting members of the community. Communities know what they need to survive and thrive. Centering tenant voices and rights is critical for the SOMAH program’s success. That’s why EHC has partnered with SOMAH to ensure that tenant education and empowerment continue to be at the forefront of the implementation of the program.

If you would like to know if your building qualifies for SOMAH, contact Monica de la Cruz at monicad@staging.environmentalhealth.org.

As an organization rooted in the civil rights movement, we cannot support racist and oppressive traditions. Our staff, community members, and board of directors reflected deeply on the traditional “holiday” of Thanksgiving and found that it does  not fit with our values – equity, justice, and empowering communities.

It marks just the opposite. Thanksgiving marks the beginning of a violent history of oppression of the First Nations and countless acts of injustices against them by European colonizers.

Instead, this Thursday, November 25, 2021, EHC will observe First Nations Day of Resilience. Moving forward, on the fourth Thursday of every November, we will observe this day as a reminder of our commitment to environmental justice principles, decolonization, and recognition of the work and history of the Kumeyaay in the San Diego and Tijuana region. Our region is occupied and unceded Kumeyaay territory that spans across geographical borders of what is currently recognized as the United States and Mexico.

On this Thursday, November 25, 2021, we invite you to observe First Nations Day of Resilience with us to honor the Kumeyaay, reflect on our country’s long history of colonization and oppression, and consider how we can work towards decolonization and justice.

Learn about the Kumeyaay