Equity Case Study:

Raleigh, NC

How Raleigh, NC Funded Green Stormwater Solutions through Rainwater Rewards

Region	Southeast USA	Principle	Deliver Benefits
City	Raleigh, NC	Best Practice	Site green infrastructure with an equity lens
Population	476,000

“I am so proud of Raleigh for creating this incentive to minimize rainwater runoff and to help keep the rain in our yards. It is an excellent program.”

–Anonymous respondent to a satisfaction survey

Project Description

The Raleigh Rainwater Rewards Subsidy Program incentivizes property owners to implement green stormwater infrastructure above and beyond any regulatory requirements by offering a cost-share of up to 75–90% for materials and construction. Participants can choose from a variety of green infrastructure practices, including but not limited to rain gardens, cisterns, green roofs and permeable pavement systems. Over its 14-year history, the program has grown significantly, with a sharp increase in project participation over the last six years due to a rebranding of the program name, targeted outreach and increased staffing and funding levels.

Best Practices in Action

In 2023, staff piloted a subsidy initiative to augment the traditional Rainwater Rewards program to support up to 100% of project costs for communities that were disproportionately impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic with funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

Braxton Court – A 1,500-gallon cistern with passive drawdown that is sized to capture the first two inches of rainfall but will “recharge” to always have a one-inch rain event capacity by passively dewatering over a 72-hour period to that one-inch volume elevation in the system. This is a residential rental property where the applicant received the 100% cost share, and the renter utilizes the water for drip irrigation throughout the property.

Participants were eligible to receive ARPA funding for above-and-beyond green infrastructure implementation based on the proposed site being located within geographical regions that had been identified as disproportionately impacted, and by meeting at least one of three criteria:

Households earning 80% or less of the Area Median Income (AMI)
Nonprofits that serve the community
Rental properties offering rates aligned with 80% AMI

Disproportionately impacted regions were identified using data from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and Wake County. Raleigh Stormwater’s eligibility for the Rainwater Rewards Subsidy Pilot was guided by input from several City departments. It is worth noting that the program faced challenges due to ARPA’s stringent timelines that encumbered funding, as Raleigh Rainwater Rewards projects are voluntary and may be implemented by property owners within a flexible one-year timeframe after application approval. After successfully installing four projects, remaining funds were reallocated, but new grant funding has since been secured to continue the pilot and refine its implementation.

Key Learnings

Align priorities to goals

The pilot revealed that relying too heavily on geographic criteria can challenge program intent. For example, a property owner with similar demographic characteristics (e.g., education level, income, etc.) may be just outside of a defined “disproportionately impacted” area, and therefore ineligible for the additional subsidy, yet face similar challenges as an individual that falls within the regional eligibility-mapped area. A clear understanding of the equity goal is imperative.

Leverage data

It is important to reference data when determining the areas of greatest need for investment and targeted outreach, rather than solely relying on anecdotal evidence or assumptions. By using existing data and focused communication methods, the program was able to engage individuals who may not have historically been able to participate.

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