NYCHA Resident Climate Action Grants

The event took place at the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council on Governors Island and celebrated 35 resident-led grant projects advancing sustainability and environmental resilience across NYCHA communities. The event featured remarks, a borough-by-borough recognition of awardees, and a hands-on project workshop all as part of The Trust for Governors Island's island-wide Earth Day celebration.

"The Exchange is proud to stand together with NYCHA residents as we work to seed, grow and sustain resident-led climate action across all five boroughs," said Vicki Cerullo, our Director of Urban Engagement.

"This year’s cohort brings double the impact by uplifting even more solutions led by local climate leaders than in previous years. The thoughtfulness, creativity and impact of each project reflects what we know - residents understand their communities best and are best equipped to design meaningful solutions for them. Together with our partners, we look forward to working with twice as many residents this year to bring their ideas to life."

Meet this year’s winning initiatives:

THE BRONX

Claremont Consolidated Houses

A STEAM-focused event will be launched as the foundation for a longer-term environmental justice campaign. By weaving together science, technology, engineering, art, and math, the initiative engages residents, and particularly youth, in hands-on learning that connects directly to the environmental conditions of their community. The goal is to build the skills, knowledge, and collective momentum needed to drive meaningful change from the ground up.

Morris Houses

A resident-led project in partnership with the nonprofit Repurposed for Life is serving over 4,000 residents across 17 buildings. Youth from the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) will help distribute essential household and wellness items to intergenerational families, many of whom live on fixed incomes. Building on successful programs at nearby NYCHA developments, the initiative promotes sustainability through equitable resource sharing and centers youth leadership.

Mott Haven Houses

Inner City Green Team (a NYCHA resident led and founded nonprofit) is expanding their work by training residents as Resident Environmental Action Leaders (R.E.A.L.). Using a community-based, door-to-door recycling and zero-waste model, the program empowers youth and adults to lead waste reduction efforts in their own neighborhoods—while opening green job pathways and building lasting environmental stewardship.

Sotomayor Houses

A resident-led project engages the community around indoor air quality, a topic that directly affects daily life there and at Soundview Houses. Through workshops and hands-on activities, residents explore how plants can help filter indoor air and improve the environments where they live. The project is being implemented in partnership with the residents of Soundview Houses.

Soundview Houses

Through workshops and hands-on activities, residents explore how plants can help filter indoor air and improve the environments where they live. The project, a resident-led project that engages the community around indoor air quality at Sotomayor Houses, is being implemented in partnership with the residents of Sotomayor Houses.

BROOKLYN

Breukelen Houses 

Justice Blooms, a community-led project, is transforming an underused green space into a garden for growing food, supporting native plants and pollinators, and providing environmental education. The initiative centers resident, youth, and partner engagement as the foundation for long-term sustainability.

Bushwick Houses

A resident-led birding program, launched in partnership with the NYC Bird Alliance, invites neighbors to connect with the natural world, bringing an unexpected and enriching dimension to environmental engagement in an urban setting.

Carey Gardens

A resident-led Youth Climate Action Camp is continuing and expanding its work in partnership with the Coney Island Beautification Project and BATS. The camp engages young people in climate justice education, art, and advocacy, with a focus on real, local threats like flooding and infrastructure failure. The program is designed to cultivate youth leadership and drive meaningful environmental and policy change over time.

Gowanus Houses 

Two resident-led initiatives are underway. The first, Scoop the Dog Poop, promotes responsible pet ownership through waste bag stations, signage, and resident education developed in partnership with local organizations. The second, Greening Gowanus, is a hands-on gardening and stewardship initiative restoring and expanding community green spaces through intergenerational workshops, youth workforce partnerships, and native planting.

Lafayette Gardens

A resident-led pilot is creating a circular bio-waste system for a community of approximately 2,100 residents. In partnership with ReDyper, compostable diapers and collection services will be distributed to 100 of the community's most vulnerable residents, including infants, the elderly, and the disabled. Compostable dog waste bags round out the collection system, with all processed compost returned to Lafayette Gardens' community gardens.

Red Hook East Houses

An initiative providing education around e-bike safety and innovation to give Red Hook residents affordable, reliable transportation, create local jobs, and promote cleaner and healthier ways of getting around.

Red Hook West Houses

Two resident-led projects are underway. The first engages volunteers throughout the summer to maintain and tend to trees across the development, protecting green infrastructure and contributing to a cooler, healthier neighborhood. The second focuses on environmental health and wellness with intentional outreach to men—creating dedicated space for a segment of the community that is often underserved by wellness initiatives.

Warren Street Houses

A resident-led project that uses climate education and collaborative art to connect seniors and youth around the shared threat of flooding. The initiative, Flooding Resiliency in Gowanus and South Brooklyn, addresses environmental vulnerability while also tackling social isolation, using creative programming to build the intergenerational bonds that underpin community resilience.

MANHATTAN

Alfred E. Smith Houses

A resident-led project is reopening and refreshing rodent-free gardens, planting trees in a flood-prone area, and bringing neighbors of all ages together through shared gardening and wellness workshops. The initiative weaves together environmental education, health, and climate resilience, offering hands-on ways for residents to respond to the specific conditions of their development.

Baruch Houses

An intergenerational community garden seeks to transform an underused outdoor area. Developed in partnership with tenant leaders, city agencies, and local volunteers, the garden is designed to support mental health, re-engage residents following years of nearby construction, and build lasting collective ownership over shared green space.

Drew Hamilton Houses

The GLOW campaign is a resident-led initiative that addresses waste management, recycling, composting, and smoke-free living through education, community partnerships, and a commitment to restoring pride in shared spaces. The goal is a cleaner, safer, and more climate-resilient campus.

Fred Samuel Apartments

A resident-led project delivers sustainability education through two complementary efforts: hands-on recycling and composting workshops at NYCHA Family Day events, and plans for a future Library of Things where residents can share resources rather than purchase new ones. Together, they aim to reduce waste and foster a community culture of mutual aid and responsible consumption.

Frederick Douglass Houses

The Synergy Shaded Community Garden will take shape on a 210-foot lawn along Columbus Avenue and 100th Street. The garden is built around an intergenerational vision: "each one will teach one," honoring the agricultural traditions many residents bring from communities around the world.

Jacob Riis Houses

A resident-led project is improving indoor air quality for 48 households across two buildings by distributing air purifiers and replacement filters to vulnerable residents. Beyond the physical improvement to air quality, the initiative is designed to strengthen trust and accountability between the Tenant Association and the broader community.

Jefferson Houses

A resident-led garden initiative focuses on sparking intergenerational connection. The space is designed to bring neighbors together around shared work and conversation, building relationships rooted in a common piece of their neighborhood.

LaGuardia Houses

Pet waste is a persistent quality-of-life concern. This resident-led initiative will install five waste stations throughout the development and pair them with resident education on proper disposal practices, a targeted improvement to the everyday environment.

Lillian Wald Houses

A resident-led greening initiative is transforming neglected outdoor areas into shared garden spaces. Through intergenerational planting, broad resident involvement, and both in-person and virtual programming, the project aims to build community pride, strengthen connection, and create a healthier outdoor environment for neighbors.

Manhattanville Rehab Houses

A resident-led tree stewardship and climate resilience initiative is expanding green infrastructure through new planters, tree care, public art, and climate education. The project deepens intergenerational engagement while improving environmental conditions across the development.

Polo Grounds Towers

A resident-led project is bringing clean energy education to the development, connecting residents with information and resources to help them understand and benefit from the broader transition to renewable energy.

Robert A. Taft Houses

A climate literacy and community leadership project will deliver hands-on education and advocacy. Residents will learn how to reduce household costs, prepare for extreme heat, and take an active role in building long-term resilience for themselves and their neighbors.

Washington Houses

A resident-led project is growing and maintaining the development's existing community gardens, tending to established green spaces and ensuring they continue to serve and reflect the community.

QUEENS

Hammel Houses

A resident-led project is transforming a neglected and unsafe garden area into a modern, community-run urban garden. Once complete, it will offer free fresh produce, youth employment opportunities, volunteer programming, environmental education, and a safe gathering space, improving food access and quality of life for residents of all ages.

Pomonok Houses – Queens

A resident-led beautification project is filling shared outdoor space with plants, color, and artistic elements. Designed to engage youth and residents of all ages, the initiative turns a neglected area into a visible symbol of community care and demonstrates what neighbors can accomplish together.

Queensbridge Houses

A resident-led initiative is addressing dog waste through a combination of visible cleanup infrastructure, community education, and advocacy for responsible pet ownership. The project engages residents of all ages and is built with the ambition of inspiring broader change, starting locally and working toward wider impact.

STATEN ISLAND

South Beach Houses

A resident-led garden project is introducing green space and community stewardship to the development, building the foundation for ongoing environmental engagement among residents in their green spaces.

Stapleton Houses

HEALTH for Youths and residents are building on existing gardening efforts with improvements to infrastructure and programming, expanding what residents have already created and making the development's green spaces more accessible and productive.

Todt Hill Houses

The Clean Air, Better Life initiative addresses two of the most common health concerns in public housing: poor indoor air quality and pest infestations. Through workshops, eco-friendly supply distribution, and practical home maintenance guidance, the project equips residents with the knowledge and tools to improve their own living conditions.

Learn more about the Resident Climate Action Grant program at https://www.communityfund.nyc/climate-action.