Inaccessible Outreach and Historic Mistrust Undermine Program Credibility and Uptake. Outreach materials and program information are often jargon-heavy, not multilingual, and insufficiently tailored to community language and cultural context, limiting access for underrepresented residents. At the same time, past fraud and deceptive practices in solar and retrofit markets have created deep mistrust, discouraging participation in legitimate decarbonization programs and undermining overall program credibility.

• Illustrative example: Residents in Pacoima continue to receive deceptive flyers, robocalls, and door-to-door pitches tied to early solar scams and misleading contractors, blurring the line between legitimate and fraudulent programs. This lasting “trust deficit” suppresses participation in new clean energy and retrofit initiatives and frustrates reputable installers and advocates working to rebuild credibility.