Earth Day Spirit Thrives at NYCHA 

The spirit of Earth Day was on full display in neighborhoods across NYCHA, where residents, employees, and community partners joined together to help the environment, support green programs, and promote a sustainable future.    

Through volunteer plantings, community celebrations, guest speeches, and new environmentally friendly initiatives, NYCHA is advancing the mission of its Sustainability Agenda, a roadmap for creating safer and healthier homes for residents across the city.    

Here are some of the Earth Day-themed commemorations throughout NYCHA:  

Senior Vice President for Sustainability Vlada Kenniff participated in the Advanced Energy Group’sNet-Zero Building Summit at engineering and design firm WSP USA’s offices in Manhattan on April 19. The two-day event convened various stakeholders to discuss near-term solutions regarding building decarbonization and electrification.  

Ms. Kenniff took part in a challenge in which speakers presented critical obstacles to achieving the City’s climate, health, and equity goals that should be collectively addressed within the next 12 months. Other speakers in the segment included Lauren Moss, Chief Sustainability Officer at Vornado Realty Trust, and Joseph Szabo, Senior Vice President and Head of Property Management at Paramount Group.   

On Earth Day (April 22), groups of NYCHA employees volunteered with residents and community partners to help the Farms at NYCHA sites across the city prepare for spring planting. Volunteers got their hands dirty for a sustainable cause by pulling weeds, picking up trash, assisting in the composting process, and laying down new soil at the urban farms. 

The Farms at NYCHA, six of which are operated by nonprofit partner Green City Force (GCF), expand healthy food access, provide youth workforce and leadership development, and help create more sustainable communities. The GCF-managed sites are also known as Eco-Hubs to reflect their commitment to sustainability and health initiatives. In addition to plantings, the events included refreshments and giveaways.  

Farms at NYCHA sites, including Forest Houses in the Bronx, prepare for spring planting on Earth Day.

A highlight of GCF’s Earth Day celebrations, the newest Eco-Hub at Astoria Houses – the first site to open in Queens – was welcomed by the community with a ribbon-cutting event. Among those in attendance were NYCHA representatives, community partners, Astoria Houses Resident Association President Vanessa Jones-Hall, and State Senator Kristen Gonzalez.   

The Queens community welcomes the newest Green City Force Eco-Hub at Astoria Houses with a ribbon-cutting celebration.

Other Farms at NYCHA sites, operated by partners Red Hook Initiative and United Community Centers in Brooklyn, are also preparing for the farming season this spring, including a planting with volunteers at Pink Houses on May 10.    

During another Earth Day festivity on April 22, the Inner City Green Team hosted the second annual Green Spring Fling, a celebration of the earth, at Wagner Houses in East Harlem. The nonprofit environmental organization was one of the recipients of the Resident Climate Action Grant, which provides up to $5,000 to support sustainability projects by NYCHA residents in their communities.  

The Green Spring Fling educated residents on the green team’s work, including a door-to-door recycling program, as well as the importance of recycling and living sustainably. Residents had the opportunity to enroll in the recycling program, drop off old clothing and other items for donation, dispose of food scraps for composting, and give away used electronics for recycling. Mayor Eric Adams and NYCHA’s Senior Vice President for Sustainability Ms. Kenniff were among the attendees.   

On April 25, the Frederick Douglass Older Adult Center of the Westside Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing organized a tree planting in honor of Earth Day at a park space near Douglass Houses in Manhattan. 

Diana Nieves Avellanet, Director of the Douglass center, said some local community members, including Douglass Houses Resident Association President Carmen Quinones, and NYCHA staff participated in the efforts to help beautify the area. 

Community members plant a tree in honor of Earth Day near the Douglass Older Adult Center in Manhattan.

On Earth Day and throughout the year, NYCHA seeks to expand sustainable practices and programs. This month, the Authority is moving forward with plans to install rooftop solar arrays on 93 buildings across nine developments as part of the Accelerating Community-Empowered Shared Solar (ACCESSolar) program.    

This solar installation will provide 3 megawatts of solar power, contributing to the Sustainability Agenda commitment to host 30 megawatts of solar power at NYCHA by 2026. The developments chosen to host the new systems include King Towers and Taft Houses in Manhattan; Parkside Houses in the Bronx; Latimer Gardens in Queens; Howard Houses and Pink Houses in Brooklyn; and Richmond Terrace, New Lane Area, and Mariner’s Harbor on Staten Island.  

Two separate solar developer teams – one of which is co-led by Sol Purpose and Accord Power, and the other led by SunLight – are designing, installing, and maintaining the solar systems. Additionally, a group of NYCHA residents will be trained and hired to install the systems, with nine residents expected to participate in the installations over the next year. The electricity generated from the new systems will provide discounted electricity costs for approximately 725 New York City households.   

In another highlight for energy efficiency, NYCHA, in coordination with the New York Power Authority and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, will install a solar and battery storage system at Borinquen Plaza I and the adjacent community center in Brooklyn. The additional power supply will provide a critical backup layer in the event of outages and enable the community center to become a cooling center for residents during extreme heat events.