Figure 16: Environmental Justice Zones

Equity and Environmental Justice

The City continuously works to provide equitable improvements throughout the community by distributing projects throughout all locations in Temple. To help continue this focus and plan for equitable distribution of recommendations in the MMP a review of the Environmental Justice Communities of Concern (EJCOC) was conducted.

It is critical that EJCOC zones be considered when evaluating how the City is growing. The Killeen-Temple Metropolitan Planning Organization (KTMPO) considered the following three criteria when identifying these communities. To qualify as an EJCOC zone, the area must meet one or more of the following criteria (KTMPO, 2020):

• Census tracts with fifty percent or more of the population categorized as Low-to-Moderate Income by HUD. • Census tracts with fifty percent or more of the population identifies as minority (Black; Asian or

Pacific Islander, American Indian, Eskimo or Aleut; Other Race). • Census tracts with twenty-five percent or more persons of Hispanic or Latino descent.

Figure 16 uses KTMPO’s EJCOC zones and the previously identified high population and employment density areas to identify additional threats to these communities. There are several instances shown below where a high population and employment density area is located near an EJCOC zone. These areas should

Figure 16: Environmental Justice Zones

Source: ACS 5 YR (2019), KTMPO (2020)