About
Retrofitting programs help small businesses and commercial property owners repair and modify buildings and operating space to better withstand climate disasters and ongoing climate impacts. Local governments and community-based organizations often partner to offer small business retrofitting programs that fund improvements such as flood barriers or roof cooling solutions.
Retrofitting programs are similar to facade improvement programs, and both can help small businesses become more climate resilient. However, facade improvement programs often help small businesses upgrade their exterior after a disaster has taken place. Retrofitting programs are designed to get structural upgrades in place ahead of climate disasters and protect small businesses from ongoing climate stressors. Retrofitting programs often target businesses in neighborhoods that local governments or organizations have identified as vulnerable to climate impacts.
STAKEHOLDERS
Small Businesses
Community-Based or Nonprofit Organizations
Bank or Lending Institution
Government or Public Agency
Technical Assistance Provider
Strategies in Action
Neighborhood Small Business Climate Resilience Program – Brooklyn, NY
In the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn, Resilient Cities Catalyst (RCC) has worked with the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice, the Department of Small Business Services, and the Pitkin Avenue Business Improvement District to retrofit the corridor’s small businesses to be more resilient to heat and flooding.
