NEW YORK\u00a0\u2013 Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani released the 2026 NYCHA Sustainability Agenda and celebrated environmental progress across City government.<\/p>\n
The agenda, which comes a decade after NYCHA’s inaugural Sustainability Agenda, provides a comprehensive update on the Authority’s work to date and sets targets for the next five years. These include transitioning 20,000 NYCHA apartments from inefficient, fossil fuel-based heating to clean, efficient heating and cooling systems; installing modern induction stoves at 10,000 apartments; and adding 150 public electric vehicle charging stations in NYCHA parking lots.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0City\u00a0is also on pace to double the number of new Solar Electric Generating System tax abatement benefits granted since 2022, with more than 4,000 new beneficiaries expected in fiscal year 2026.<\/p>\n
New data from the Department of Buildings (DOB) and Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) shows that 93% of the properties covered by Local Law 97 have filed compliance reports. The program has also raised more than $1.46 million to support decarbonization projects in affordable housing. Under the law, owners of large buildings must report on steps they are taking to reduce carbon emissions. The high compliance rate in this first reporting cycle\u00a0indicates\u00a0broad participation across the five boroughs.<\/p>\n
“Affordability and sustainability go hand in hand. This agenda makes clear that when we invest in public housing, we are investing in lower bills, cleaner\u00a0air\u00a0and healthier communities,” said\u00a0Mayor Mamdani. “Across City government, we are acting with urgency to cut emissions, lower costs and deliver a greener New York for working people.”\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
“This Earth Day,\u00a0we’re\u00a0taking an all-of-government approach to the housing and climate crises. The NYCHA Sustainability Agenda shows that investing in public housing also helps our environment \u2013 from heat pumps to green jobs \u2013 and we will continue working to deliver a city where every New Yorker has affordable, dignified housing,” said\u00a0Leila\u00a0Bozorg, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning. “As we work to improve public housing, we’re also ensuring that property owners across the city are lowering their emissions, with programs to cut costs and go green.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
About the NYCHA Sustainability Agenda\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Building on a $38.4 million investment in clean, modern heat pumps at Beach 41st Street Houses, the 2026 NYCHA Sustainability Agenda outlines the next phase of expansion across NYCHA developments. Initial installations of window and packaged heat pumps will reach apartments at Woodside Houses, Saint Nicholas Houses, Claremont Consolidated, Beach 41st Street Houses, Bay View Houses and Campos Plaza II. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The agenda, titled\u00a0Innovating at Scale, sets sustainability goals for the next five years, including for high-efficiency lighting and water fixtures, modern waste infrastructure, protection from climate related disruptions, and solar energy, among others.<\/p>\n
About Solar Tax Abatement Benefits\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Solar Electric Generating System (SEGS) Tax Abatement lowers the cost of installing solar electric systems by providing a property tax reduction to eligible properties in New York City. The\u00a0City\u00a0expects more than 4,000 new benefits in fiscal year 2026, with total abatements exceeding $20 million, reflecting strong and sustained participation across the five boroughs.\u202f\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Since the program began in 2008, participants have invested more than $2 billion in solar installations citywide, expanding access to renewable energy and lowering costs for property owners.<\/p>\n
About Local Law 97 Compliance\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Local Law 97 requires most buildings larger than 25,000 square feet to meet increasingly strict greenhouse gas emission limits or face penalties. The law targets a 40% reduction in emissions by 2030, and net-zero carbon neutrality by 2050. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The first compliance reports, covering 2024, were due Dec. 31, 2025. 93% of covered properties,\u00a0representing\u00a091% of covered buildings,\u00a0submitted\u00a0reports. Emissions limits are based\u00a0largely on\u00a0building size and occupancy. To comply, buildings must pursue energy efficiency upgrades and operational improvements, including replacing fossil fuel-based systems and improving insulation.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The DOB is auditing submissions to verify compliance or confirm use of approved compliance pathways.\u00a0Additional\u00a0data will be released after audits have concluded.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
“NYCHA continues to innovate in how we modernize and manage our portfolio of properties,” said\u00a0NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “Our work is focused on promoting resident health and well-being by addressing priority physical needs, strengthening the reliability and efficiency of building systems, and mitigating the impacts of climate change. The goals and strategies developed together with our residents, partners, and stakeholders \u2013 and laid out in our 2026 Sustainability Agenda \u2013 are central to achieving our mission and are driven by these priorities. We are appreciative of the Mamdani Administration, whose focus on affordability and climate action positions NYCHA to continue making meaningful progress toward our sustainability goals in the years to come.” \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Buildings across the five boroughs are taking action to address the impact of building emissions,”\u00a0said\u00a0New York City Chief Climate Officer Louise Yeung. “Local Law 97 compliance is a critical step to meeting our\u00a0City’s\u00a0emissions reduction goals, and this administration is committed to providing New Yorkers with resources to make climate action more affordable and accessible to make our buildings healthier and safer for all.”\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Under Mayor Mamdani’s leadership, New York City continues to be a global leader in building sustainability,” said\u00a0Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani. “Through the city’s smart and balanced approach to implementation of Local Law 97, we now have well over 90% of covered property owners who have\u00a0submitted\u00a0their required compliance reports to the city and working towards reducing the harmful carbon emissions emanating from their buildings. This high\u00a0initial\u00a0compliance rate is a credit to building owners, retrofit service providers and government all working together towards a more sustainable future.”\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
“This new data shows that we can effectively tackle our massive housing shortage while also addressing the climate crisis,”\u00a0said\u00a0Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Dina Levy. “By prioritizing sustainability, we can build more housing, protect our environment, and lower energy costs for New Yorkers. This policy is a win-win for New York City, and we are heartened to see so many building owners in compliance.”\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
“NYCHA’s 2026 Sustainability Agenda \u2013 Innovating at Scale \u2013 represents an ambitious, but achievable vision for the Authority that builds on ten years of climate action progress,”\u00a0said\u00a0NYCHA Chief Asset and Capital Management Officer Shaan Mavani. “We are taking what we have\u00a0demonstrated\u00a0to be the most effective strategies and technologies for the challenges we face and integrating these in our capital investment programs and how we\u00a0operate\u00a0and maintain our properties. By harnessing\u00a0new technologies, we are making our buildings more comfortable and healthier for residents, safer in major storms and other climate hazards, more efficient in their use of electricity and water, and easier to\u00a0operate, while transitioning them away from fossil fuel-powered technologies.”\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
“NYPA continues to leverage its resources and technical expertise to support NYCHA in advancing innovative, scalable solutions that support the City’s long term clean energy goals,” said\u00a0New York Power Authority President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll. “Through its partnership with NYCHA, the Power Authority is helping deploy induction stoves, window heat pumps, and other modern, energy efficient technologies in buildings across NYCHA’s portfolio. Those investments will improve the quality of life for NYCHA residents, reduce energy use, lower long-term\u00a0costs\u00a0and serve as a blueprint for affordable housing agencies across the nation.”\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Together, New York State and the City of New York are redefining affordable housing by accelerating the adoption of cost-effective clean energy solutions, such as advanced heating and cooling systems, to create modern living spaces that are healthy and improve the overall quality of life for residents while reducing utility costs. NYCHA’s Sustainability Agenda is a leading example of this commitment, and NYSERDA looks forward to working with our city partners to ensure more New Yorkers are benefitting from the latest technologies and cleaner, more resilient and affordable buildings,” said\u00a0Doreen M. Harris, President and CEO, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
“For generations, the basic needs of NYCHA families \u2014 like reliable heat during a bitter winter night and cool air during a scorching summer day \u2014 have been deprioritized and disinvested in. But the days of residents using ovens to warm their homes, all while being exposed to fossil fuel-related pollution are\u00a0coming to an end,” said\u00a0Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr.\u00a0“These new heat pumps, modern stoves, efficient lighting and more will make a world of difference for our families living in public housing, who have long deserved to be treated with dignity and respect. I look forward to working with the Mamdani Administration on getting these critical amenities installed as quickly as possible.” \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
“NYCHA residents have been breathing the consequences of our fossil fuel dependence for decades: higher rates of asthma, higher energy bills, and homes that are too hot in the summer and too cold in winter,” said\u00a0Council Member Julie Won. “At Woodside Houses, electric powered heat pumps provide a different path forward. While other NYCHA residents report dozens of heat complaints, the updated heat pumps virtually\u00a0eliminated\u00a0heat complaints and cut energy costs in half. The updated NYCHA Sustainability Agenda takes that model citywide, helping over 20,000 homes get efficient heat and energy.”\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
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