Expansion of the Clean Energy Academy & Climate Action Grant Program

On October 15, the Public Housing Community Fund (PHCF) announced the expansion of the NYCHA Clean Energy Academy and Resident Climate Action Grant Program with a $650,000 commitment from HSBC Bank. 

The NYCHA Clean Energy Academy, in collaboration with NYCHA and Solar One, equips public housing residents for careers in cutting-edge jobs that make New York City’s communities more sustainable, through training and certifications in electrified heating installation and maintenance, energy-efficiency programs, and solar installation. Each cohort supports public housing residents over eight weeks, helping them access essential skills training and career support, leading to job placement opportunities for long-term careers in the city’s growing green economy. Now in its fourth year, the Academy has trained and upskilled over 200 public housing residents, readying them to gain full-time employment. HSBC’s funding commitment in 2025 and 2026 helped expand clean-energy career pathways for NYCHA residents, with 147 residents graduating from the program over that period. Among recent graduates, five have secured full-time employment, 26 have completed paid internships with 11 clean-energy employers, and three have continued with further training.

HSBC’s grant continues support for the Resident Climate Action Grant Program. These grants support resident-led climate action and sustainability projects in NYC’s public housing and PACT developments, providing direct funding and technical assistance to residents. The Grant Program is led by PHCF, in partnership with The New York Climate Exchange. This year, a record 35 resident-led projects received funding – more than double the 17 projects funded the previous year — expanding resident-driven climate action and environmental resilience across NYCHA communities in all five boroughs.  

“HSBC is proud to continue our three-year partnership with the Public Housing Community Fund,” said Kelly W. Fisher, Americas Head of Corporate Sustainability, HSBC. “These programs are a credible example of how our local New York City communities can come together around actions in climate mitigation and clean energy.”

“With HSBC’s support, more NYCHA residents are gaining the opportunity to turn their ideas, talents, and ambitions into something tangible, whether that means starting a career in the growing clean-energy economy or leading a climate project that makes their own community stronger and healthier,” said Public Housing Community Fund Executive Director Alex Zablocki. “What is most powerful about these programs is that residents are not simply participating in New York City’s transition to a greener future, but they are helping lead it, creating change in their own neighborhoods and building new economic opportunities for themselves and their families. We are deeply grateful to HSBC for believing in NYCHA residents and continuing to invest in their ideas, their potential, and their future.”

“NYCHA is thrilled to see the Clean Energy Academy and Resident Climate Action Grant Program expand through our continued partnership with the Public Housing Community Fund and generous grant from HSBC,” said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “Empowering residents with the skills and resources they need for careers in the green economy and supporting resident-led sustainability projects builds a stronger and more resilient NYCHA community.”

“The New York Climate Exchange is proud to partner with the Public Housing Community Fund, with generous support from HSBC, on the Resident Climate Action initiative. NYCHA residents all across New York City are leading the way on climate action, and The New York Climate Exchange is standing side by side to deliver solutions,” said Victoria Cerullo, Director of Urban Engagement at The New York Climate Exchange. “Through this impactful initiative, we look forward to continuing listening to residents who know their communities best, investing in ideas leveraging The Exchange’s extensive partner network, and connecting leaders across the five boroughs to scale solutions for a more livable city.”

The NYCHA Clean Energy Academy is an eight-week, hands-on training program that prepares NYCHA residents for careers in clean energy. Through training delivered by Solar One, in partnership with PHCF, participants learn HVAC, heat pump installation, solar, and green construction, and earn industry-recognized credentials such as OSHA 30. Participants receive a $1,500 stipend, transportation support, and meals, and graduates connect directly with employers through networking and job placement support.

Since relaunching in its current format in 2025, the Academy has drawn interest from nearly 6,000 residents. Graduates have gone on to paid internships with clean-energy employers across the five boroughs, funded by the New York Power Authority.

The Academy launched in 2023 with NYCHA’s Sustainability and Resident Economic Empowerment & Sustainability (REES) departments and support from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). With HSBC’s support, it has grown into the hands-on model it is today, advancing NYCHA’s commitment to connect residents with green careers.

The Resident Climate Action Grant Program puts funding and technical assistance directly in the hands of NYCHA residents leading climate and sustainability projects in their own communities. Since launching during Climate Week 2022, the program has grown from four projects in its first cohort to nine in 2024, 17 in 2025, and 35 in 2026, spanning NYCHA and PACT developments in all five boroughs. The program is run by the Public Housing Community Fund in partnership with NYCHA and The New York Climate Exchange.

Residents’ projects reflect what their communities need most, from waste reduction and furniture reuse to community gardens, tree stewardship, birding programs, and e-bike safety. In 2026, grants were offered in three tiers matched to each project’s stage:

• Seed Grants of up to $1,500 for residents testing a new idea or taking a first step.
• Growth Grants of up to $5,000 for new or established projects that need more resources or capacity to grow.
• Sustain Grants of up to $15,000 for proven projects and resident-led organizations building long-term community benefit.

Three-time grant recipient Regina Carter shows what resident leadership can build. A lifelong resident of Morris Houses in the Bronx and president of its resident association, which represents 17 buildings, Ms. Carter founded Repurposed Life Inc., a nonprofit that rescues furniture and household goods headed for landfills and gives them free to New Yorkers across all five boroughs. To date, Repurposed Life has diverted nearly half a million pounds of goods, and Carter was named a 2026 David Prize winner. Through her latest grant, youth from the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) will help distribute essential household and wellness items to intergenerational families at Morris Houses, many of whom live on fixed incomes.

Other 2026 projects include:

• Breukelen Houses, Brooklyn: Justice Blooms, a community-led project, is turning an underused green space into a garden that grows food, supports native plants and pollinators, and offers environmental education.
• Mott Haven Houses, the Bronx: The resident-founded Inner City Green Team is running a door-to-door recycling and zero-waste program that trains youth and adults to lead waste reduction in their own neighborhood.
• Manhattanville Rehab Houses: Residents are expanding green infrastructure through new planters, tree care, and public art.

The program grew out of NYCHA’s Sustainability Agenda, first released in 2021 and updated in 2026. Resident-led projects complement the Authority’s own climate work by building climate awareness and grassroots action from the ground up.

Photos courtesy of the Public Housing Community Fund