Havens of Opportunity, Peace and Empowerment (HOPE) Initiative to Provide $5 Million in Funding to Help Communities Keep Driving Down Gun Violence
New Initiative Will Provide Consistent, High-Quality Programming to Promote Youth Well-Being and Interrupt Cycles of Gun Violence in Each of New York City’s Five Boroughs
Builds on Governor’s Record Investments in Gun Violence Prevention and Her FY27 Executive Budget Proposals to Further Strengthen New York’s Nation Leading Gun Laws
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced $5 million in funding available through the new Havens of Opportunity, Peace and Empowerment (HOPE) initiative in communities with high rates of gun violence in New York City. Awards will enable organizations to establish and enhance safe, supportive and trusted neighborhood havens with consistent, high-quality programming for youth and families in each of New York City’s five boroughs.
“Public safety is my top priority, and our nation-leading gun laws and prevention programs are making real change across New York’s communities. In 2025, shootings fell to the lowest levels on record statewide. To build on that progress, we’re continuing to invest in the communities most impacted by gun violence,” Governor Hochul said. “The HOPE initiative will create safe, supportive spaces for young people and families, helping break cycles of violence and making our state safer for all.”
Administered by the New York State Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which is part of the State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), the HOPE initiative is another key part of Governor Hochul’s comprehensive plan to target and reduce gun violence and strengthen communities disproportionately affected by its harmful and deadly consequences. The FY27 Executive Budget includes nation-leading proposals to address the deadly threat of 3-D printed firearms, and illegal switches – the size of a Lego brick – that convert handguns into rapid-fire machine guns. Police and prosecutors across the state support these efforts to combat the emerging threat of this plastic pipeline.
Since taking office, Governor Hochul has invested $1.27 billion in gun violence reduction, interdiction and prevention initiatives, with the FY27 Executive Budget proposal continuing record-level funding for several initiatives, including $36.4 million for the Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative; $21 million to support SNUG Street Outreach programs; $20 million for Project RISE (Respond, Invest, Sustain, Empower), and $42 million for the state’s Youth Employment Program.
The new HOPE initiative will establish a new neighborhood haven or expand an existing one in each of the five boroughs: Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. These havens will foster healing, connection, and skill-building through culturally relevant, trauma-informed programming designed to interrupt cycles of violence and promote youth well-being, with a focus on individuals up to age 24 during high-risk evening hours from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and on weekends.
Approximately $5 million will be made available to support five nonprofit, community-based organizations, one in each borough. Qualified organizations in each borough are limited to submitting one application for up to $1 million to support a neighborhood-based haven. Contracts for that funding will run for two years.
Additional details about the funding opportunity are available on the DCJS funding webpage. Questions about the request for applications (RFA) must be submitted to dcjsfunding@dcjs.ny.gov by Wednesday, April 29. Responses to those questions will be posted on or about Wednesday, May 13.
