Investment will deliver clean heating and cooling to 712 homes as part of “Clean Heat for All” initiative
Program will reach more than 10,000 New York City apartments by 2030
TODAY, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a $38.4 million investment to install deliver clean, reliable heat pumps at NYCHA’s Beach 41st Street Houses in Edgemere, Queens, delivering modern heating and cooling to 712 homes as part of the city’s Clean Heat for All initiative.
The announcement was made alongside Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning Leila Bozorg, NYCHA CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt, and Chief Climate Officer Louise Yeung. Beach 41st Street Houses will be among the first NYCHA developments to receive the custom-designed heat pumps, which will replace an aging gas boiler system that has exceeded its useful life.
Once installed, the heat pumps will provide more consistent and reliable heating, efficient cooling in bedrooms and living rooms, individual temperature controls for residents, and improve hot water reliability. The project advances the city’s goal of expanding Clean Heat for All to more than 10,000 NYCHA apartments by 2030.
“Today’s $38.4 million investment in heat pumps at the Beach 41st NYCHA Houses is about dignity, safety, and climate justice. It means hundreds of working-class New Yorkers in the Rockaways can heat their homes reliably while we cut emissions at the same time,” said Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani. “This is what it looks like when we understand that the fight for a livable planet and livable housing are in fact one and the same.”
“This investment shows how smart policy can address our housing crisis and climate crisis at the same time. These heat pumps will be cheaper and more efficient, cut emissions, and improve residents’ lives at Beach 41st Street Houses,” said Leila Bozorg, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning. “The Clean Heat for All program is proof using the city's investment and purchasing power creatively can drive progress across the city, and that is the creativity that we will bring to bear to address the housing crisis for all New Yorkers.”
“We are so pleased to be bringing the Clean Heat for All heat pumps to the residents of Beach 41st Street Houses,” said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “These cutting-edge heat pumps will not only provide clean, reliable heat during the winter, but cooling during the summer months as well. We'd like to thank Mayor Mamdani for his support of this program and for his dedication to improving the quality of life for the residents of Beach 41st Houses. We look forward to a continued partnership with his administration as we work to scale up Clean Heat for All and install 30,000 window heat pumps over the next several years.”
“Communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis, especially those in Far Rockaway, have historically been the last to receive critical investments and resources to prepare for a just and equitable climate transition,” said Chief Climate Officer Louise Yeung. “Tenants deserve the peace of mind of reliable heating during frigid cold snaps, and safe cooling during extreme heat. By deploying innovative heat pumps to NYCHA Beach 41st Street Houses, our City is taking critical steps to ensure that New Yorkers feel warm, safe, and comfortable in their homes.”
The heat pumps being installed at Beach 41st Street Houses are the product of the Clean Heat for All Challenge, launched by NYCHA, the New York Power Authority (NYPA), and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) in 2021. Following competitive submissions by a variety of heating and cooling device manufacturers, Midea and Gradient won contracts to develop 30,000 pumps for NYCHA homes. To date, 150 have been installed at Woodside Houses in Queens and NYCHA has purchased 5,000 more. Through the Clean Heat for All initiative, NYCHA is using its bulk purchasing power to procure custom heating and cooling devices, filling a gap from existing heat pumps on the market, and improving the reliability and efficiency of hot water service.
Clean Heat for All completed its initial demonstration in June 2024, with the heat pump units showing promising results: pilot apartments with heat pumps maintained more consistent and comfortable temperatures during the winter, compared to control apartments with a standard steam system. The units have been able to maintain their set point temperatures amidst the coldest outdoor temperatures of the heating season while lowering the energy used to provide heat. Resident response to the new heat pumps has been overwhelmingly positive, with 89 percent of residents who received heat pumps reporting satisfaction with the new units. Early results, averaged across two heat pump manufacturers, show an 86 percent decrease in energy required for space heating. Results also indicated a 50 percent decrease in heating energy costs, substantial savings despite the higher cost of electricity relative to gas.
NYCHA, NYPA, and NYSERDA launched the Clean Heat for All Challenge in 2021 engaging HVAC and appliance manufacturers to develop a heat pump model capable of being easily installed through an existing window, requiring little or no electric upgrades, and able to serve the needs of existing multifamily buildings while hastening the transition to fossil-free heating sources. Following the selection of Midea and Gradient’s winning model, NYCHA installed heat pumps in a full building at Woodside Houses in 2025 and will be expanding the program to the remaining buildings in the development starting in the summer of 2026. 1,600 apartments at Bay View Houses closed financing in December 2025 as the first Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) development to incorporate the Clean Heat for All heat pumps closed in December and will electrify heat for 1,600 apartments at Bay View starting in the spring. NYCHA is currently conducting studies to assess suitability of other developments for future installations.
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