17 Nycha Residents Awarded Climate Action Grants To Build Greener Communities
On April 19, The Exchange welcomed 17 winners of the 2025 NYCHA Resident Climate Action Grant Program to Governors Island. The winners, representing all five boroughs, participated in a workshop and celebration co-hosted by the Public Housing Community Fund (PHCF).
The workshop was part of the Trust for Governors Island‘s Earth Day Celebration, and kicked off with remarks from civic leaders, residents, and environmental advocates, as well as an announcement of the grant recipients’ winning projects.
Winning projects range from expanding community gardens and urban agriculture to recycling and composting, green workforce training to engaging neighbors on climate issues through arts and culture.
Grant recipients participated in a hands-on workshop with Exchange staff and partners – GOLES, Pratt Center, and Green City Force – to create project implementation plans.
COMMUNITY POWER, CLIMATE PROGRESS
Awarded in partnership with PHCF, NYCHA’s Sustainability Unit, and with support from Rise Light and Power, the Post Company and NY Ferry, the 17 resident-led projects provide a model for climate action that can be shared across the city and around the world. Residents know their community best, and the ideas they propose are foundational to building a healthier, more sustainable New York City. Each winning project received up to $5,000 to implement grassroots climate solutions.
“This year’s Climate Action Grant recipients reflect the power and creativity that lives within NYCHA communities and how residents choose to respond to the climate crisis,” said Alex Zablocki, Executive Director of PHCF. “These resident-led projects address the climate crisis not in theory but in practice, through gardens, education, storytelling, air quality improvements, and more. By investing in residents as the leaders and changemakers they are, we’re not only advancing climate justice, but we are strengthening the social fabric of our city. We’re proud to support these projects and look forward to the lasting impact they’ll have in public housing and beyond.”
“NYCHA’s greatest asset has always been our residents,” said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “Just like the Authority’s commitment to addressing climate change through a variety of programs outlined in the Sustainability Agenda, NYCHA residents are championing the fight against the climate crisis through projects of their own at developments across the five boroughs. Enough can’t be said about the passion and altruism that these residents have shown for their communities, their campuses, and their neighborhoods, and we cannot be happier for them to receive this year’s NYCHA Climate Action Grant Awards.”
LOOKING FORWARD
As the projects begin to take shape, the impact will ripple far beyond the grant amounts—strengthening neighborhood ties, sparking youth leadership, and demonstrating what’s possible when public housing residents lead the way on climate action.
“The impactful innovation of these winning projects across all five boroughs is clear,” said Victoria Cerullo, Director of Urban Engagement at The New York Climate Exchange. “We are excited to work with residents, our partners, and the Public Housing Community Fund on the 2025 NYCHA Resident Climate Action Grant program to bring these community-focused, sustainable ideas to life. Empowering New Yorkers to pursue bold new ideas and implement impactful climate action projects aligns perfectly with The Exchange’s mission to develop urban climate solutions that can be rapidly deployed in New York City and beyond.”
We are excited to see how residents will transform their ideas into action with support from The Exchange, the Public Housing Community Fund, and our other partners. Join us this September, during Climate Week NYC, to see the results and celebrate shared success!