Press Releases

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. Congressman Tim Kennedy along with PUSH Buffalo and a coalition of other Western NY environmental justice groups announced $20 million via the Inflation Reduction Act for Erie County’s Buffalo Neighborhood Mobilization Hubs Plan, which will support emergency response and extreme weather hubs and bring emergency preparedness resources to neighborhoods across Buffalo. The lawmakers said the project will also support local workforce training initiatives for solar installation, energy efficiency upgrades, and other energy-related trades to help families lower costs and fight climate change locally.

“I’m championed the Inflation Reduction Act, the single largest investment in environmental and climate justice in history, because we need to invest in communities like Buffalo to give them both the resources and the skills to combat climate change locally – not to mention new tools to hold down energy costs. I am proud to deliver this major up to $20 million federal investment to make neighborhoods across Buffalo more resilient, keep people prepared in emergencies like snowstorms, flooding and heatwaves, and give people the tools to enter clean-energy careers,” said Senator Schumer. “This is a win-win: making Buffalo neighborhoods stronger in the face of emergencies and boosting workforce training for good paying clean-energy jobs. This will help build a cleaner, greener and more resilient future for Western NY.”

“No one should be without access to critical support services during an emergency,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I’m proud to announce this federal funding, which will help make sure that residents of Buffalo have access to the resources they need during climate-related crises. I’m committed to building on this initiative, and I will continue working to guarantee that communities across New York have the services they need to combat the growing number of climate-related emergencies striking our state.”

“In times of crisis, many communities in Buffalo face acute challenges that require big ideas and teamwork,” said Congressman Kennedy. “PUSH Buffalo and CoNECT have demonstrated their ability to meet the needs of vulnerable neighborhoods by providing resources and support. Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, this $20 million grant will empower this coalition to create 150 Neighborhood Mobilization Hubs, which will include emergency equipment to ensure communities are prepared for storms and other emergencies. This program will also invest in workforce training that will give people the tools required to increase community resilience, secure good-paying jobs, and strengthen our economy. This is an important step in making communities in Buffalo more equitably prepared for emergencies—improving and saving lives.”

Schumer fought to secure $2 billion to create the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Community Change Grants Program in the historic Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The program helps disadvantaged communities tackle environmental and climate justice challenges through projects that reduce pollution, build climate resilience, and help achieve climate justice. These place-based investments will be focused on community-driven initiatives to be responsive to community and stakeholder input. They are designed to deliver on the transformative potential of the IRA for communities most adversely and disproportionately impacted by climate change, legacy pollution, and historical disinvestments. To learn more, click here.

The Buffalo Neighborhood Mobilization Hubs Plan aims to create Community Resilience Hubs across Erie County to provide disadvantaged communities access to portable solar kits, batteries, walkie-talkies, backup generators, and other emergency equipment in emergencies. The project will purchase portable network kits, solar kits to power them, wired internet access, and other devices will be stored at Community Tech Labs. The project will additionally support local workforce training in solar installation, energy efficiency upgrades, and other trades and conduct outreach to potential employers. Project partners include Just Solutions Collective, Erie County Restorative Justice Coalition, Clean Air Coalition of WNY, University at Buffalo, Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, City of Buffalo- Department of Citizen Services, Erie County- Department of Health Equity. Rahwa Ghirmatzion, Senior Fellow at the Just Solutions Collective will provided strategy and overall project management.

“The Community Change Grant represents a turning point for climate resilience and environmental justice for frontline communities in the City of Buffalo. We celebrate President Biden’s investment in self-determined solutions and grassroots leadership right here in our own neighborhoods, and the Environmental Protection Agency’s commitment to climate justice. We will use this three-year award to develop and implement neighborhood-focused solutions and strategies that live into the People’s Climate Law (New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, or CLCPA, passed in 2019). These programs and services will directly address the unique needs of each neighborhood, and be implemented in collaborative, collective action,” said Dawn Wells-Clyburn, Executive Director of PUSH Buffalo.

“We are excited to launch this vital project to support community-led efforts in collaboration with government partners as we work towards health equity and environmental resiliency in Buffalo,” said Jessica Bauer Walker, Executive Director of CoNECT.

“We are so pleased to have selected the Buffalo Neighborhood Mobilization Hubs Plan (PUSH Buffalo) to receive funding to help support their amazing work,” said Lisa F. Garcia. “These EPA investments will advance local, on-the-ground projects that reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, and build community capacity.”

“Erie County Restorative Justice Coalition is deeply grateful to the EPA for its investment in this innovative and collaborative community effort to heal and restore our neighborhoods and work towards building a healthy and sustainable Buffalo, where everyone can work, play, learn, live, and thrive,” said Dina Thompson, Executive Director, Erie County Restorative Justice Coalition.

“We are grateful to President Biden for listening to climate justice leaders on their decades-long fight to address the worst impacts of climate change in our communities. The Communities Change grant is meant to catalyze investments on the frontlines to pave the way for a just and equitable clean energy transition,” said Rahwa Ghirmatzion, Project Manager.

"Clean Air welcomes the EPA's tremendous investment in climate resiliency, led by and for the Buffalo community. Our work on the front lines of the climate crisis has highlighted the need for neighborhood-level resiliency, and we are proud to partner in this crucial effort," said Chris Murawski, Executive Director, Clean Air Coalition.

“We are grateful to President Biden and Senator Chuck Schumer for listening to climate justice leaders on their decades-long fight to address the worst impacts of climate change in our communities. The Communities Change grant is meant to catalyze investments on the frontlines to pave the way for a just and equitable clean energy transition,” said Rahwa Ghirmatzion, Project Manager.

"The University at Buffalo College of Arts and Sciences is excited to be collaborating with PUSH Buffalo and other partners on this resilience-building project in Buffalo. We look forward to supporting the students and faculty funded by this grant and are excited to witness the impact that it will make locally and throughout the region," said Robin G. Schulze, dean of the UB College of Arts and Sciences.

About PUSH Buffalo and CoNECT

PUSH Buffalo and CoNECT each have extensive experience working to engage the local community and outreach to disadvantaged residents. PUSH and CoNECT co-founded ANCHOR (Assisting Needs for Community Health, Opportunity, and Resiliency) as a community-based coalition in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to function as a bridge between systems, sectors, organizations, grassroots efforts, and community members. Their mission is to remove barriers and build up support to help Buffalo’s most vulnerable neighborhoods that disproportionately face the first and worst impacts of any acute events, including pandemics, mass shootings, and extreme weather.

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