Latest news with #NorthCharleston-based
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Federal judge orders Trump administration to unfreeze funding for North Charleston weatherization project, other grants
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) — A federal judge in South Carolina has ordered the Trump administration to unfreeze millions of dollars in federal grant funding for community-based projects, including one in North Charleston. U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel partially granted the Southern Environmental Law Center's request for a permanent injunction on behalf of 11 nonprofit organizations and six cities that received awards through the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. 'These grants were funded by legislation that mandated that the funds be expended for a specific purpose and left no discretion to agency heads to disregard the legislative mandates because current officials did not approve of the purposes of the previously appropriated programs,' the May 20 order stated. The plaintiffs in the March 19 lawsuit each received money for their respective projects but have been unable to access it since Trump's executive orders paused funding associated with the pair of spending packages. Two more groups were later added to the initial complaint. Attorneys for the plaintiffs argued the delays and disruption caused by the executive action left many projects in limbo, and in some cases forced the groups to consider layoffs or other mechanisms to stay financially afloat. Among the named projects was one by the North Charleston-based Sustainability Institute to build and weatherize affordable homes in the Union Heights neighborhood. The nonprofit was awarded a $11.4 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency in 2024 to carry out the project. That funding, which officials said had been frozen and unfrozen multiple times since the end of January, will again be accessible under the judge's ruling. 'This is a huge victory for these organizations who can now get back to work improving their communities,' said SELC Litigation Director Kym Meyer. Gergel's order also restored funding for 31 other projects approved under the Biden administration. Federal government attorneys did not contest the plaintiff's claims on those 32 projects, but wrote in a May 16 filing that they plan to appeal on jurisdictional grounds. The order did not extend to farming-based grants provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry program to allow for further testimony. The SELC said it 'feels confident' the court will also find that those six grants were unlawfully terminated. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
North Charleston nonprofit suing Trump administration over grant funding freeze
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Energy-efficient affordable housing, support for local farmers, air pollution monitoring, and other community-based projects have been left in 'limbo' by the Trump administration's freeze on federal grant funding, according to a new lawsuit. The lawsuit, filed March 19 in the U.S. District Court of South Carolina, challenges the administration's authority to unilaterally freeze billions of dollars in awards administered through the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. It was filed by the Southern Environmental Law Center on behalf of 11 nonprofit organizations and six cities. Each of these groups received federal grant funding for their respective projects but have been able to access it since Trump's executive orders paused funding approved under the pair of spending packages. This has caused delays and disruptions to the groups' work and in some cases forced them to consider layoffs or other mechanisms to stay financially afloat, the complaint states. 'When Congress decided it was time to invest in American communities, infrastructure, and innovation around the country, these groups stepped up,' said Kym Meyer, SELC's Litigation Director. 'The plaintiffs in this case won highly competitive grants because of the excellent projects they put forward, and the government should honor the commitments it made to these hardworking local organizations dedicated to helping their communities. This chaotic federal funding freeze is destroying their ability to do important work to create jobs and improve lives.' Among the named projects is one by the North Charleston-based Sustainability Institute to build and weatherize affordable homes in the Union Heights neighborhood. The nonprofit was awarded a $11.4 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency in 2024 to carry out the project. That funding has been frozen and unfrozen three times since the end of January, according to the lawsuit. Clemson among 40 universities under Title VI investigation Bryan Cordell, the executive director of the Sustainability Institute, stated in a March 19 press release that the organization and its partners have already invested 'thousands of hours' to make the project a reality. 'Continued freezes and disruptions to our work would be catastrophic to the project and would be equivalent to the government turning its back on the promised housing, jobs, and other economic, environmental, and social impacts that are set to be delivered,' Cordell said. 'We can't allow that type of failure to occur.' Attorneys are asking the court to issue a preliminary injunction barring the administration from blocking access to the funds. The lawsuit is the latest in a wave of legal challenges against Trump and his Department of Government Efficiency – spearheaded by Elon Musk—to drastically cut government spending. Two federal judges have already blocked aspects of the order, ruling that the freeze on congressionally approved grants likely violates the law. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
