Fund for Public Housing, NYCHA and Partners Announce the Launch of the Clean Energy Academy
Public Housing Community Fund
Building a stronger, more equitable New York City by investing in public housing communities.
Fund for Public Housing and NYCHA, in partnership with NYSERDA, National Grid, NYPA, Trinity Church Wall Street Philanthropies, NorthLight Foundation and Rise Light & Power, Announce the Launch of the Clean Energy Academy, a Two-Year Scalable Program That Will Train 100 Public Housing Residents in Clean Energy Careers
?The nearly $2 million program will lead to a trained workforce of public housing residents helping NYCHA achieve its decarbonization goals while providing economic mobility to residents. LaGuardia Community College/CUNY will provide the clean energy training.
The scalable workforce training program can serve as a model for public housing authorities nationwide.
New York – The Public Housing Community Fund (The Fund) and the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) , in partnership with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority ( NYSERDA ), National Grid , New York Power Authority (NYPA), Trinity Church NYC Philanthropies, NorthLight Foundation and Rise Light & Power , announce the launch of the Clean Energy Academy (Academy), a $2 million workforce training program aimed at preparing public housing residents for careers in the clean energy sector. Complementing the Clean Heat for All Challenge, an initiative spearheaded by NYCHA, NYPA, and NYSERDA to develop a new electrification product that can better serve the heating and cooling needs of existing multifamily buildings and hasten the transition to fossil-free heating sources, the Clean Energy Academy, through a power public-private partnership, will ready trainees for jobs across NYCHA developments as the authority meets its decarbonization goals. The Fund, NYCHA and partners view the Academy as a model for public housing authorities nationwide and intends for the program to be scalable over time. LaGuardia Community College / The City University of New York will oversee a training site for the program.
"It is critical that we not only find new and innovative ways to develop clean energy as we work to decarbonize our buildings, but that we have a well-trained workforce to install and operate this technology," said NYCHA Chair and CEO Greg Russ. "The Clean Energy Academy will position NYCHA residents to work in building electrification and clean energy careers while moving public housing authorities into a cleaner future."
The Clean Energy Academy seeks to meet the hiring needs of NYCHA’s energy efficiency and renewable energy contractors by connecting resident trainees to NYCHA contractors who will be performing nearly $500 million in retrofit and renewable energy projects at NYCHA developments through 2026. Working directly with potential employers, the Academy will maximize NYCHA resident hires by customizing training curriculum around contractor needs and providing trainees with wrap-around services (such as mental health and other social services) to ensure they have the support necessary to succeed in their new careers and on the jobsite. The Academy has set a goal to provide 100 public housing residents clean energy job training over two years, and a goal to place at least 64 trainees into clean energy jobs over two years.
The Academy is supported by a two-year funding commitment from NYSERDA of $385,000 along with $345,000 from National Grid as the lead private partner, $75,000 from NYPA and philanthropic support of $100,000 from Trinity Church Wall Street Philanthropies, $50,000 from NorthLight Foundation and $50,000 from Rise Light & Power. NYCHA is providing an additional $1 million in staffing support and funding toward the program.
"The Fund for Public Housing is proud to support this innovative public-private partnership by launching the Clean Energy Academy, preparing public housing residents to work in a 21st century career," said Fund for Public Housing Executive Director Alex Zablocki . "With our partners at NYCHA, and support from governmental agencies and the private sector, the Clean Energy Academy will train 100 NYCHA residents within two years readying them for careers in building electrification and clean energy, providing residents with the opportunity to learn new skills and advance a career in this growing sector. The Academy will provide a tailored curriculum to meet the needs of NYCHA's decarbonization goals. This program is only possible with the multi-year philanthropic support and technical expertise of our partners. Many thanks to the Fund for Public Housing’s Deputy Director, Claire McLeveighn (She/Her/Hers) and Strategic Projects Manager, Carrie Torres , for successfully launching this program in partnership with NYCHA and funders."
“As National Grid continues to advance its clean energy plans and fossil-free vision, we look forward to working with the Fund for Public Housing, NYCHA and other partners to engage the local community in innovation to improve the efficiency of buildings and create pathways to careers in the clean energy sector,” said Rudy Wynter, President, National Grid New York. “Our Project C support for The Clean Energy Academy will help create equitable change and employment opportunities by offering sufficient training and hands-on experience for the skills needed to succeed as the clean energy industry continues to grow.”
“We eagerly look forward to working with The Fund for Public Housing, NYSERDA, Trinity Church Wall Street Philanthropies and other partners,” said Ukah Busgith, Executive Vice President, NYCHA Community Engagement & Partnerships. “The brilliance of this collaboration is that it affords NYCHA the ability to connect residents to an emerging sector in the construction industry, with NYCHA’s Office of Resident Economic Empowerment and Sustainability leading recruitment planning and resident outreach. We are confident that our collective efforts will enhance the quality of life for the residents of NYCHA by connecting them to new energy efficiency and solar installation trainings, while also providing adult education instruction and employment resources.”?
NYSERDA Workforce Development and Training Director Adele Ferranti said, “Workforce development and training is a critical part of New York State’s transition to a clean energy economy. NYSERDA is thrilled to help fund the Clean Energy Academy – which will not only train NYCHA residents with the skills needed to pursue clean energy jobs with contractors working on NYCHA properties, but will help support NYCHA’s broader effort to reduce building emissions and establish healthy and comfortable living spaces for more New Yorkers.”
Lisa Payne Wansley , NYPA vice president of Environmental Justice said, “NYPA is proud to partner with NYCHA on this workforce development opportunity. The funding will equip residents with the skills and training necessary to secure high paying jobs in the clean energy economy.”
The Academy’s custom-trained workforce consisting of individuals from environmental justice communities will help NYCHA accelerate building decarbonization through partnership with contractors delivering heat pump installation and maintenance, energy performance contracts and other energy retrofits at NYCHA developments.
Vlada Kenniff, Ph.D. , Senior Vice President for Sustainability, New York City Housing Authority said, “Through the leadership of the Fund for Public Housing, the creation of the Clean Energy Academy will bring NYCHA residents directly into the Clean Energy Transition, allowing them to benefit not only from cleaner and healthier buildings, but also integrate NYCHA residents into a much needed, transforming workforce. As we green our buildings, we want to make sure we leverage these opportunities for green jobs training and placement for our residents.”
Neill Coleman , Executive Director, Trinity Church Wall Street Philanthropies said, “We are delighted that Trinity can support this innovative and important program. From our commitment to New York City, we care deeply about the success of our neighbors, including investing in skills training and keeping people housed. The Clean Energy Academy is a win for NYCHA residents, our city, and our Biblical responsibility as stewards of the environment.”
Kate Sinding Daly , Executive Director, NorthLight Foundation said, "By providing the skills and training necessary for NYCHA residents to succeed in the building electrification and clean energy sectors, the Clean Energy Academy will enable NYCHA residents to be active participants in New York's just transition to clean, renewable energy. The NorthLight Foundation is proud to support this crucial initiative to ensure that New York City addresses the climate crisis while also providing sustainable housing for low-income residents and delivering green jobs to those who have been historically excluded from job opportunities."
Clint Plummer , CEO of Rise Light & Power, said, “Transforming fossil fuel infrastructure for our renewable energy future is in our company’s DNA. It is only fitting that NYCHA residents, after decades of environmental injustice, benefit from and play an active role in reshaping our city as a global leader in clean energy. Rise thanks NYCHA, NYSERDA, and our other partners for seeing the value in workforce development initiatives like the Clean Energy Academy, and we stand ready to help the program succeed and grow.”
LaGuardia Community College President Kenneth Adams, said, “Our partnership in the Clean Energy Academy reflects our commitment to creating opportunities for local community members to build careers with family-sustaining wages.?LaGuardia’s Continuing Education Division is ready to provide NYCHA residents with industry-informed education to prepare them for high-demand clean energy jobs.”
The Clean Energy Academy is expected to begin with a comprehensive needs assessment to justify the training and hiring needs of NYCHA contractors in order to inform its training program content and approach, followed by curriculum development this fall. Resident recruitment and training will begin in early 2023.
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About the Fund for Public Housing
The Fund for Public Housing (The Fund) is an independent not-for-profit organization that creates and leverages resources and relationships to enhance the opportunities and quality of life for New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) residents. Through public-private partnership with NYCHA, the Fund is investing in leadership development, workforce skills, economic mobility, community health and resident asset building, with a focus on NYCHA’s 100,000 youth and young adults (14-24 years of age), as a centerpiece of the organization’s commitment to creating economic opportunity and equity for all NYCHA residents.?For more information, visit www.fundforpublichousing.org .
About NYCHA
The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the largest public housing authority in North America, was created in 1935 to provide decent, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers. NYCHA is home to roughly 1 in 16 New Yorkers across over 177,000 apartments within 335 housing developments. NYCHA serves over 339,000 residents through the conventional public housing program (Section 9), over 29,000 residents at developments that have been converted to PACT/RAD, and over 92,000 families through federal rent subsidies (the Section 8 Leased Housing Program). In addition, NYCHA connects residents to opportunities in financial empowerment, business development, career advancement, and educational programs. With a housing stock that spans all five boroughs, NYCHA is a city within a city.
About NYSERDA
NYSERDA, a public benefit corporation, offers objective information and analysis, innovative programs, technical expertise, and funding to help New Yorkers increase energy efficiency, save money, use renewable energy, and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. NYSERDA professionals work to protect the environment and create clean-energy jobs. NYSERDA has been developing partnerships to advance innovative energy solutions in New York State since 1975. To learn more about NYSERDA’s programs and funding opportunities, visit?nyserda.ny.gov ?or follow us on?Twitter ,?Facebook ,?YouTube , or?Instagram .
About National Grid
National Grid (NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people through our networks in New York and Massachusetts. National Grid is focused on building a path to a more affordable, reliable clean energy future through our?fossil-free vision . National Grid is transforming our electricity and natural gas networks with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy solutions to meet the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. For more information, please visit our?website ,?follow us on?Twitter ,?watch us on?YouTube , like us on?Facebook ?and?find our photos on?Instagram
About NYPA
NYPA is the largest state public power organization in the nation, operating 16 generating facilities and more than 1,400 circuit-miles of transmission lines. More than 80 percent of the electricity NYPA produces is clean renewable hydropower. NYPA uses no tax money or state credit. It finances its operations through the sale of bonds and revenues earned in large part through sales of electricity. For more information visit https://www.nypa.gov and follow us on Twitter @NYPAenergy , Facebook , Instagram , and LinkedIn .
About Trinity Church Wall Street
Now in its fourth century, Trinity Church Wall Street is a growing and inclusive Episcopal parish of more than 1,200 members that seeks to serve and heal the world by building neighborhoods that live Gospel truths, generations of faithful leaders, and sustainable communities. The parish is guided by its core values: faith, integrity, inclusiveness, compassion, social justice, and stewardship. Members come from the five boroughs of New York City and surrounding areas to form a racially, ethnically, and economically diverse congregation. More than 20 worship services are offered every week at its historic sanctuaries, Trinity Church and St. Paul’s Chapel, the cornerstones of the parish’s community life, worship, and mission, and online at trinitywallstreet.org. The parish welcomes approximately 2 million visitors per year. Trinity Church Wall Street Philanthropies uses the tools of grantmaking, investments, convening, and influence to advance Trinity’s mission goals of racial justice, ending homelessness, and building leadership and financial capacity in the church.
About NorthLight Foundation
NorthLight Foundation, a private foundation established by Dan and Sheryl Tishman, invests at the intersection of human and environmental landscapes to advance equitable and enduring solutions for environmental and human health.?Originally incorporated as the Dan and Sheryl Tishman Family Foundation in 2011, the Foundation entered a new phase in 2018 with the hiring of its first staff, an Executive Director, and the development of a strategic grantmaking framework. It also adopted a new name, NorthLight, evoking the Trustees’ commitment to supporting solutions that will bring about a healthy, just, and sustainable world. NorthLight Foundation is the product of many years of active philanthropy in education and the environment and builds upon the legacy of John L. Tishman.?
About Rise Light & Power
Rise Light & Power is a Queens, New York based energy asset manager and developer. Its core asset, Long Island City’s Ravenswood Generation Station, is New York City’s largest power generating facility, which provides more than 20 percent of New York City's generation capacity. Rise is also pursuing an exciting growth-oriented strategy, including modernization and resiliency upgrades at Ravenswood Generation Station, as well as new large-scale clean energy infrastructure to facilitate the renewable energy transition taking place in New York State and the region. Rise Light & Power is a wholly owned affiliate of LS Power. For more information, please visit www.riselight.com .
About LaGuardia Community College
LaGuardia Community College , located in Long Island City, Queens, educates thousands of New Yorkers annually through degree, certificate, and continuing education programs. Our guiding principle Dare To Do More reflects our belief in the transformative power of education—not just for individuals, but for our community and our country—creating pathways for achievement and safeguarding the middle class. LaGuardia is a national voice on behalf of community colleges, where half of all U.S. college students study. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), the College reflects the legacy of our namesake, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former NYC mayor beloved for his championing the underserved. Since our doors opened in 1971, our programs regularly become national models for pushing boundaries to give people of all backgrounds access to a high quality, affordable college education.
We are proud to support this program and are excited for the opportunities it will bring for NYCHA residents.
We are so excited to play a small role here - congratulations and we can't wait to see where the program goes!
Author | Urban Innovator in Private and Public Sectors | Startup Mentor & Investor | Devoted to the fictitious cult of Frank Zappa.
2 年This is great! I see the path for public housing in NYC finally going downhill.
Mission-driven leader, builder and connector.
2 年Proud Trinity can support this work.