SCAG Presents ‘2025 Sustainability Awards’ to Honor Regional Excellence
SCAG recognized seven innovative projects across the six-county region at the 2025 Sustainability Awards ceremony as part of the 2025 Regional Conference and General Assembly on May 1 in Palm Desert.
SCAG presented its top award, the “Outstanding Achievement in Sustainability,” to the city of Baldwin Park's Homeless Reduction Initiative, a groundbreaking innovation in dignified, eco-friendly housing. The initiative began by creating two unique communities—Esperanza Villa, serving individuals, and Serenity Homes, designed for families. These spaces offer private units, pet-friendly policies, and comprehensive services with tools for residents to transition from crisis to stability.
Other 2025 Sustainability Award winners were:
Active, Healthy, and Safe Communities: The First/Last Mile Plan for the Eastside Transit Corridor Phase 2 Project, by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, is a blueprint for closing the gaps between transit service and daily life around the next planned extension of the E Line.
Carmen Ramirez Award for Equity: The city of Santa Ana’s Environmental Justice Action Committee unites local residents from the most environmentally burdened neighborhoods, public agencies, and community-based nonprofits to prioritize cleaner air, safer housing, and access to green spaces.
Clean Cities: Alternative Fuels and Infrastructure: The city of Moreno Valley’s EVolution program is rewriting the playbook for clean transportation with a bold, citywide commitment to slash emissions, prioritize public health, and lower fuel costs for residents.
Green Region Initiative: Climate Action and Resource Conservation: The Food Recovery for Equity, Sustainability & Health, or FRESH SGV, has helped reduce methane emissions while feeding underserved neighborhoods across the San Gabriel Valley since launching in 2021.
Housing Innovation: The Victorville Wellness Center seamlessly integrates on-site medical care, private housing, and wraparound services for people experiencing homelessness.
Plans, Policies, and Programs: The city of Lancaster’s Vehicle Miles Traveled Impact Fee Mitigation Program proactively raises revenue to fund expansions of the city’s active transportation network.
Each year, the SCAG Sustainability Awards recognize projects for contributing to the goals of the Connect SoCal Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy and achieving progress toward a more mobile, sustainable, and prosperous region.
SCAG accepted nominations for the 2025 SCAG Sustainability Awards in November and December 2024 before convening a jury to select the winning projects according to criteria in the Sustainability Awards Call for Nominations.
For more on SCAG’s 2025 Sustainability Awards, visit the SCAG website.