2025 Progress Report on NYCHA’s Sustainability Agenda

• GHG reductions – In 2023, NYCHA annual GHG emissions decreased 17% from the 2005 baseline. 2024 emissions data is expected later this spring. While there has been a net decrease in emissions since the 2005 baseline, progress towards emissions reduction targets slowed due to the shutdown of Indian Point plant.
  
  
• Energy Performance Contracts (EPC) – NYCHA continues to expand its EPC work, with 2 EPCs with a combined value of nearly $90 million submitted or prepared for submission to HUD. Two additional EPCs are currently undergoing Investment Grade Energy Audits, with estimated submission to HUD later this year.
  
  
• Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) - As of April 2025, NYCHA has initiated $30 million of work through the New York State Weatherization Assistance Program since the collaboration began in 2016, improving the air quality, energy efficiency, and thermal comfort in resident apartments through ventilation improvements, heating and hot water upgrades, window repairs and replacements, lighting replacements, and other measures.
  
  
• Proptech Program – NYCHA’s pilot programs with 2 vendors, Openspace and Runwise, have completed. Runwise proved to be a viable alternative to a full-scale Building Management System (BMS) at the pilot development, where it remains in use after the pilot's conclusion. 

• Clean Heat for All – NYCHA’s packaged heat pump pilot at Woodside Houses in Queens is underway; resident feedback and performance data continue to be positive. One manufacturer has successfully completed the demonstration phase and is preparing to scale up to a full building. The second manufacturer is expected to complete the demonstration phase later this summer. Once the Woodside pilot is complete, NYCHA plans to expand the installation across its portfolio and is conducting ongoing electrification studies to assess property needs for future installations.

• Energy Efficient Heating Upgrade – Progress continues at 9 NYCHA developments selected for energy efficient heating upgrades such as domestic hot water decoupling or electrification, heat pumps for space heating, and far-infrared heating panels. At NYCHA’s properties Eastchester and Jackson, all geothermal wells and associated heat pumps for domestic hot water, along with high-efficiency boilers for space heating, are operational.
  
  
• Leverage PACT Program for Electrification and Deep Energy Retrofits – Over $52 million has been invested in electrifying building systems. 5,865 apartments across 10 developments are undergoing decarbonization upgrades, which vary by site but include decoupled domestic hot water, variable refrigerant flow (VRF) heat pumps, Epocha HPAC heat pumps, and electric stoves.  As part of the conversion process, PACT partners prepare a pre-development Energy Audit and Electrification Feasibility Study that includes a path to electrification and associated electrification-ready-infrastructure for each site.
  
  
• Authority-wide Decarbonization Planning – NYCHA is working with Steven Winter Associates (SWA) to support NYCHA’s planning and compliance with NYC Local Laws 84, 97, and others.  As a part of this work, SWA is developing a Local Law 97 planning tool that demonstrates the long-term impacts of capital investments at both PACT and Section 9 developments, highlighting the GHG impact of electrification and business-as-usual boiler replacements. The tool will feed into policy recommendations as well as an interactive public-facing planning tool.
  
  In 2024, NYCHA also adopted New York City's Climate Alignment Assessment framework to assess the sustainability and resiliency impacts of its capital projects at 3 phases in the construction process.

• Solar - Construction of community shared solar was completed at four sites (New Lane, Parkside, Pink, and Richmond Terrace), for a total of 6.8 MW installed to date. An additional 12.5MW of solar are in design or construction, with 5MW of solar awarded, pending lease signature.

• Battery Storage - NYCHA does not currently have funding to implement battery storage projects but is evaluating opportunities to integrate battery storage into future projects.

Note: formerly known as "Expand electric vehicle program". This commitment will now include micromobility as well as electric vehicles.

• Electric Vehicles (EV) Program - NYCHA has 121 vehicles in its 1114 vehicle fleet that are electric or hybrid – 11% of its fleet.
  
  
• Electric Vehicle (EV) Charger Feasibility – In 2024, NYCHA partnered with Greater NY to study how EV charging infrastructure can be brought to NYCHA parking lots. With the support of a Cornell Tech Urban Innovation Fellow, we are now working to operationalize our findings through potential public-private partnerships.
  
  
• Electric Micromobility Charging Stations – In 2023, NYCHA was selected for a $25 million award through the US DOT Raise grant to fund the engineering and installation of infrastructure for approximately 173 electric micromobility charging and storage stations proximate to 53 outdoor NYCHA sites; this grant will be managed by NYC DOT. NYCHA and ConEdison are also continuing work on an e-micromobility demonstration project at 4 sites (Van Dyke I, De Hostos, Queensbridge I and II); the contract and e-micromobility station locations have been confirmed with extensive community engagement, with construction planned for later this year.
  
  

• Design Guidelines – NYCHA has significantly refined and updated its Design Guidelines, incorporating strategies from the Sustainability Agenda, Waste Management Plan, and other guidance documents. The comprehensive web-based interactive tool, launching in 2025, ensures portfolio-wide consistency and represents NYCHA's commitment to design and construction excellence.

• Physical Needs Assessment – NYCHA's Physical Needs Assessment, updated in 2023, includes decarbonization and measures promoting energy efficiency across multiple areas of need, including roof work, building exteriors, domestic hot water, and space heating. 

• Roof Replacement – NYCHA currently has roofing jobs at 279 buildings across 45 NYCHA properties. Since 2018, 545 roofs have been replaced.
  
  
• Mold Remediation – NYCHA continues work on its Building Line Initiative (BLI), where buildings are identified that require large-scale capital upgrades to eliminate water intrusion and resulting mold. NYCHA has also been upgrading building ventilation to prevent mold growth through building roof fan and damper replacement as well as vent cleaning.
  
  
• Perform Lead Outreach and Remediation – In July 2022, NYCHA officially launched the TEMPO Abatement Program, which performs lead abatement in occupied apartments, prioritizing apartments with children under the age of 6. NYCHA is also abating all apartments at apartment turnover. All abatements are performed to meet the City’s stringent new lead paint standard of 0.5 mg/cm2. As of February 25, 2025, NYCHA has abated 7334 apartments through the TEMPO Abatement Program, and an additional 5,420 through moveouts and other programs.
  
  
• Smoke-Free NYCHA Liaison Team – In 2024, Smoke-Free team expanded work to proactively engage all residents with a reported smoke-free violation. The team successfully contacted 60% of all residents with a documented smoke-free violation to reinforce smoke-free policy's aim of reducing exposure to secondhand smoke, provided technical training to 330 NYCHA staff members, and added Smoke-Free perimeter markings to 9 developments.
  
  
• Healthy Start @ NYCHA – In 2024, 606 residents voluntarily disclosed a pregnancy, and 1,001 growing families received program support through resource navigation and hazard abatement. Healthy Start also deepened program partnership in areas such as infant safe sleep, mental health, and fatherhood and provided workshops on topics such as fire safety and breastfeeding.
  
  
• Community Health Partnerships – In 2024, NYCHA partnered with the NYC Health Department to launch a new place-based community health worker program. In total 73 NYCHA developments were supported with place-based community health worker services. The NYCHA Health Corps program also continues to provide structured opportunities for residents to perform public health national service while learning about health careers; 73 residents participated in the program across 2 cohorts in 2024. 
  
  
• Comprehensive Modernization – NYCHA’s work to holistically rehabilitate selected properties’ campuses and buildings continues through the Comprehensive Modernization program. Design Build contracts and Notices to Proceed were granted for Saint Nicholas and Todt Hill Houses in 2024, with construction planned to begin in 2025. Design Build contracts and Notices to Proceed were granted for Gowanus Houses and Wyckoff Houses in 2025, with construction planned to begin in 2026. 

• Green Infrastructure Projects – Green infrastructure assets at 20 NYCHA developments have completed construction and are being maintained by NYC Department of Environmental Protection. Projects at an additional 17 NYCHA developments have completed design and are currently in pre-construction or construction.
  
  
• Cloudburst Projects – Construction for the South Jamaica cloudburst project kicked off in 2024; the project has now reached 75% construction completion, with full construction completion anticipated later this year. Clinton Houses and Jefferson Houses' cloudburst projects have completed design and procurement phases respectively. Meanwhile, multifunctional cloudburst infrastructure projects at 4 sites (Butler, Woodside, Breukelen, and Sheepshead) are currently in design, with design completion for all sites anticipated in 2026. 
  
  
• Unified Stormwater Rule (USWR) – The Unified Stormwater Rule continues to be flagged and applied across various project scopes at NYCHA development sites.

• Clean Energy Academy – NYCHA’s Clean Energy Academy launched in 2023 with the goal to train NYCHA residents for careers in the Clean Energy Industry, developing trainees’ skills to install solar panels, transform heating and cooling systems, and install and maintain heat pumps. To date, 60 NYCHA residents have graduated from the program. The Public Housing Community Fund (PHCF), in partnership with NYCHA, will continue the Clean Energy Academy this year, with the goal to train 75 NYCHA residents over 3 cohorts in 2025.

• Resident hiring on Solar Projects – Solar leases signed from 2024 through January 2025 will add 28 hires and over 50 training opportunities for NYCHA residents, exceeding the original commitment.
  
  
• Connect NYCHA Youth with Emerging Jobs in Sustainability –  Green City Force (GCF) leads an AmeriCorps service and training program to prepare young adults from NYCHA or other low-income housing in NYC for careers through green service. In the last year, Green City Force graduates earned over 188 certifications, with 63 alumni securing new employment, education, or training. Service members and alumni have extensively supported NYCHA sustainability initiatives, with 7 alumni inventorying 5,800+ trees across 35 NYCHA developments as part of the NYCHA Tree Inventory, 5 alumni working with Compost Power to support composting at 8 NYCHA developments, and through management of Eco-Hubs at 6 NYCHA developments, where in the past year GCF has grown over 19,000 pounds of produce for NYCHA residents, helped to compost over 108,900 pounds of organic matter, and engaged nearly 2,000 residents and visitors through over 150 events.   
  

• Resident Climate Action Grants – In 2024, the second round of Resident Climate Action Grants, coordinated by the PHCF, were awarded to nine NYCHA residents. The next round of Resident Climate Action Grants is underway, with announcements anticipated this spring.

• Resident Involvement in Procurement Opportunities – When applicable, NYCHA continues to incorporate residents into procurement processes across various Requests for Proposals (RFPs). Stipends continue to be provided through the PHCF when residents are included in RFP evaluations.

• Small Business Opportunities – In the past year, NYCHA facilitated 25 in-person and virtual business development events to connect NYCHA residents to workshops, education or programs to start or grow their businesses. Through PHCF, NYCHA also secured funding for 2 cohorts of 3 Pathways Programs to take place in 2024 and 2025. As of December 2024, 37 residents have graduated, with an additional cohort graduation in spring 2025. NYCHA is also holding networking events to connect Section 3 Business Concerns and Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises with upcoming procurement opportunities at NYCHA. 

• Expanding Urban Agriculture Programs – NYCHA's 9 existing urban farms continue to thrive, with over 30,000 pounds of locally harvested produce distributed to residents. NYCHA's Urban Farm Expansion RFP was released in September 2024; a contract is expected this spring, with 2 new farm builds anticipated this year. In 2024, NYCHA also joined public and private partners for a groundbreaking of a new Agricultural Education Center at Marlboro Houses in Brooklyn. NYCHA's support for resident gardeners also grew in 2024.

• Leaf Composting and Mulching – NYCHA expanded its Recycle First program to include leaf collection across all boroughs in accordance with NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY)’s mandatory yard waste collection, while continuing work with GCF alumni-owned/lead Compost Power to compost yard waste at 8 NYCHA properties; these 2 programs have diverted 730 tons of yard waste from landfill since October 2022. NYCHA also continued its leaf mulching pilot and continues to evaluate opportunities to expand the project to additional sites. Through the Cornell Tech Pilot:NYC program, NYCHA collaborated with Brooklyn College Urban Soils Lab to study the impact of mulched leaves on NYCHA grounds.

• Staff Trainings and Standard Procedures for New Equipment and Processes – NNYCHA's first auger compactor was installed in February 2024; materials and video for a staff training on augers is being finalized. Staff training for the new pneumatic system at Polo Grounds Towers has started. NYCHA has also developed a staff training for Clean Heat For All window heat pump units to be rolled out as each heat pump model completes its demonstration phase and is scaled up to a full building or development. The new heat pumps have also been incorporated in NYCHA’s standard systems for asset tracking, installation, maintenance, and repair.
  

• Centralized Waste Yards – Redesigned waste yards incorporating augers for trash and bulk waste and enclosed storage for recycling were completed at LaGuardia, Marcy, 303 Vernon, Webster, Morris, East 180th Street, and Jackson Houses. Construction of new waste yards scheduled to begin at 10 developments this spring, with another 21 sites in planning or design.
  
  
• Staff & Resident Recycling - Recycle First, a program to prioritize and monitor recycling at NYCHA properties, is set to complete citywide rollout by early 2026 and is currently in place in all 5 boroughs at 74 properties. Waste management procedures have also been adapted for the Recycle First program, in partnership with DSNY.  Additionally, larger, more convenient, outdoor recycling stations were installed at Morris and Marcy Houses, with similar recycling stations to be installed at Isaacs, Holmes and Lehman Houses this spring, supported by funding from the Recycling Partnership.
  
  
• Pneumatics Waste Collection - NYCHA initiated a Design-Build contract in June 2022 to retrofit Polo Grounds Towers with a pneumatic waste collection system. All of Polo Grounds’ buildings are now connected to the pneumatic system and waste is being collected. Once fully completed this summer, the system will be operated by the NYCHA's Waste Management Department.
  
  
• Organics - Organics collection and processing, maintained by local organization Compost Power, continues at 6 GCF Eco-Hubs as well as Polo Grounds Towers and Patterson Houses. In 2024, NYCHA was selected for an USDA grant to continue food scrap collection at Polo Grounds Towers and Patterson Houses and expand to neighboring NYCHA sites. In 2024, NYCHA also provided substantial outreach to over 3,000 residents at developments located near DSNY "SmartBin" food scrap collection bins at 12 NYCHA developments. NYCHA continues to seek grant funding to expand food scrap collection and organics processing.

• Construction & Demolition Waste – NYCHA is participating in a NYC window glass e-cycling working group and is planning to pilot recycling in a window replacement project at Woodside Houses this summer.

• Spray Shower Retrofits –  There are currently 15 sprinklers connected to the BMS as part of EPC projects, with an additional 11 planned. 

• BMS Leak Identification –  NYCHA continues to connect boiler make up water and other heating equipment to the BMS for monitoring.  Over 55 developments are now connected.
  
  
• Water Monitoring Study – NYCHA installed a water monitoring and leak identification system at Vladeck Houses. A report on the findings was completed, informing future planning for water efficiency work.

• Water Baselines – NYCHA has established a process and understanding with HUD on establishing water baselines for current and future EPCs.

• Preservation Trust – The Preservation Trust, established in 2022, is a government agency that repairs, renovates, and modernizes public housing for residents in partnership with the New York City Housing Authority.   

  Currently, three developments have voted to enter the Trust model: Nostrand Houses, Bronx River Addition, and Unity Towers (also known as Coney Island I (Site 1B)). As of April 2025, three additional developments have undergone or are currently in the voting process: Hylan, Throggs Neck Addition, and Randall Avenue-Balcom Avenue, with results to be announced this spring and summer.  

  The Trust, in partnership with NYCHA, has issued Requests for Procurements to shortlisted firms for major capital renovations and repairs for the Trust Mod  projects at Nostrand and Bronx River Addition. Unity Towers is currently in the predevelopment process with a Trust Mod Request for Qualifications expected to be released this summer.  

  The Trust released its inaugural Strategic Plan in fall 2024 summarizing progress to date and outlining the capital improvements, operational enhancements, and community programs that the Trust will undertake in the coming year .

• PACT Pipeline - The PACT program continues to deliver comprehensive renovations to NYCHA properties that go through conversion in partnership with PACT partner teams. Over 25,000 units have been converted to Section 8 through the program to date, with construction completed or underway to address over $7.3B of capital investment needs. For the most updated information on PACT conversions, please refer to the PACT Project and News subpage.

• Demand Response Programs - NYCHA is enrolled in demand response programs for gas reductions in the National Grid territory. NYCHA has entered into 10 year agreements for 5 developments with emergency generators already enrolled in demand response programs and is currently evaluating an RFP to expand generator demand response participation. Emergency generators will require electrical and permitting work to be compatible with demand response programs, which will require additional funding. NYCHA will also explore demand response participation for heat pumps being installed under Clean Heat For All.

• Green Revolving Fund (GRF) - The Green Revolving Fund is not currently active due to regulatory constraints; however NYCHA is working to develop other methods of ensuring that utility incentives are maximized and that their benefits continue to provide NYCHA campuses with energy and sustainability benefits.

• Equitable Investment in NYCHA - NYCHA continues to aggressively pursue grant opportunities to fund its sustainability work. Supported by PHCF, NYCHA has secured a dedicated team to help identify and pursue these grants. NYCHA has continued work with an informal Sustainability Council to advise NYCHA on the Authority’s adoption and execution of climate forward financing, policies and programs, such as Energy as a Service and carbon credits, with the goal to mobilize increased funds to strengthen the Authority’s sustainability and resiliency efforts.