FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 13, 2025
Contact: Jama Joseph, 646-951-1648, jama.joseph@weact.org
NEW YORK — New Yorkers are facing heightened social and economic uncertainty as the cost of living continues to rise. With federal cuts threatening the social safety net for millions, the New York State Governor and legislature had a chance to deliver meaningful relief—especially for communities of color and low-income, who are facing the compounding impacts of economic insecurity, climate change, and environmental injustice. Although the final budget offers some clear bright spots, it falls far short in key areas.
WE ACT for Environmental Justice celebrates the $1 billion for climate funding through the Sustainable Future Fund. We see this as a down payment for the Cap and Invest program, which – having been delayed by the Hochul administration – we are continuing to call for the full implementation of. The Sustainable Future Fund will deliver at least $450 million for decarbonizing residential buildings. This is a significant directional signal that the places we live need to be prioritized in the clean energy transition – and we’re ready to help shape those investments! As part of Upgrade NY, we were also very excited to see $200 million for Thermal Energy Networks. These shovel-ready projects will serve as powerful models for transforming communities through innovation, reducing emissions, improving public health, and creating family-sustaining union jobs across the state.
We are also glad to see the state acknowledge barriers to weatherization and electrification through the Green Affordable Pre-Electrification (GAP) Fund, which enables smart, community-based investments to help lower energy costs, upgrade housing, and create local jobs that make a real difference in people’s lives. Unfortunately, the program was funded as a $2 million pilot, which falls far short of the existing need. To make a meaningful impact, the GAP Fund will need to receive a substantial and durable investment from the state. However, this seed funding will start to address energy affordability and pollution reduction in neighborhoods that have long been overburdened and under-resourced.
We are deeply disappointed by the exclusion of the NY HEAT Act from the final budget for the fourth year in a row. This was a clear opportunity to help New Yorkers reduce their energy bills, begin a just transition off expensive and aging gas infrastructure, and improve housing conditions across the state. Instead, the Assembly – led by Speaker Carl Heastie – chose to maintain the status quo, benefiting for-profit gas utilities while leaving working families exposed to the rising costs of fossil fuels.
“The NY HEAT Act is common sense policy that allows utilities to invest in clean energy alternatives instead of wasting our money on expensive, dirty, gas pipes. We will continue to call on the Assembly to pass NY HEAT before the end of session because this bill is absolutely critical if our state is serious about building a future where New Yorkers have access to clean and affordable energy,” said Annie Carforo, WE ACT’s Climate Justice Campaign Manager.
Finally, as an environmental justice advocacy organization serving disproportionately impacted communities of color since 1988, WE ACT is deeply concerned about the inclusion of language that criminalizes the use of masks in the final budget. Mask-wearing is a critical tool in preventing the spread of respiratory infectious disease and protecting communities against poor air quality and particulate matter. This ban inadvertently threatens the safety of immunocompromised New Yorkers, especially seniors and disabled residents in frontline communities. As such, the State should encourage mask wearing in large congregate settings rather than stigmatizing the practice by using it as an aggravating factor in criminal enforcement. WE ACT fears that this will be used as yet another pretext for unjust and discriminatory treatment of people of color and low-income.
While we recognize the investments made in this year’s budget, what remains undone underscores the need for a greater sense of urgency. Environmental and climate justice in New York State cannot be delayed or deprioritized. For communities of color and low-income that have borne the brunt of environmental racism and decades of disinvestment, the consequences of inaction are not abstract. They’re visible in the form of unsafe housing, unaffordable energy, and higher rates of chronic illness. We urge lawmakers to deliver policies like NY HEAT that reflect the full scale of this crisis—with the urgency, investment, and justice these communities deserve.
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WE ACT for Environmental Justice is a Northern Manhattan membership-based organization whose mission is to build healthy communities by ensuring that people of color and/or low-income residents participate meaningfully in the creation of sound and fair environmental health and protection policies and practices. WE ACT has offices in New York and Washington, D.C. Visit us at weact.org and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram.