To mark Earth Week, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) awarded climate action grants to 17 resident-led projects across the five boroughs, including three in Queens, that focus on sustainability, food justice and environmental education.
The Queens initiatives, sponsored by Rise Light & Power, include two community gardening efforts at South Jamaica Houses and an environmental justice campaign at Redfern Houses in the Rockaways.
The grants are part of NYCHA’s Resident Climate Action Grants program, now in its third year, which provides up to $5,000 for grassroots initiatives addressing the effects of climate change in public housing communities. The program is facilitated by the New York Climate Exchange and the Public Housing Community Fund.
At South Jamaica Houses, NYCHA selected two projects that aim to expand gardening and wellness programs that promote food access, healthy living, and community bonding across generations.
One project will increase the number of garden beds for fresh food production and create a staging area to host gardening workshops and wellness activities, such as yoga and stretching classes. Though open to all residents, the initiative places a special focus on seniors, offering them a safe and supportive space for engagement and physical activity.
A second grant at South Jamaica Houses will support the expansion of a community farm by constructing 20 new raised vegetable beds and developing an outdoor space for gardening education and wellness programs—particularly for seniors and young people.
Meanwhile, at Redfern Houses in the Rockaways, a third grant-supported project will focus on addressing “environmental injustices” linked to the nearby Inwood Material Terminal (IMT), which residents say has long impacted local air quality.
That initiative will involve seniors, adults, and children in a community-wide survey documenting pollution-related health issues, medical expenses, and missed work or school. The project will also use public art to help residents share their stories and “elevate their collective voice” in holding polluters accountable.
The 2025 grant recipients were announced during a ceremony held on April 19 on Governors Island. Originally launched during Climate Week in 2022, the Resident Climate Action Grant Program supports NYCHA residents in developing and leading local solutions to climate challenges.
Alex Zablocki, Executive Director of the Public Housing Community Fund, said the newly awarded projects showcase the strength and ingenuity of public housing residents.
“These resident-led projects address the climate crisis not in theory, but in practice, through gardens, education, storytelling, air quality improvements, and more,” Zablocki said. “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.”
NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt echoed that sentiment.
“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,” Bova-Hiatt said.
