Attorney General James Leads Multistate Coalition to Urge U.S. Supreme Court to Preserve Consumer Protection Watchdog

 

Coalition of 24 Attorneys General Stress that the CFPB Provides Essential Protections for Millions of Americans

 New York Attorney General Letitia James led a multistate coalition in submitting an amicus brief to the Supreme Court, urging the Court to overturn a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit that threatens the future operation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the viability of more than ten years of the agency’s regulatory and enforcement actions. The CFPB was set up to create nationwide consumer protection standards and to work with, and supplement, individual state agencies. In Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. Community Financial Services Association of America, Ltd., the Fifth Circuit concluded that the agency’s operations violate the U.S. Constitution’s Appropriations Clause because it does not receive an annual appropriation from Congress and is instead funded through the Federal Reserve, and ordered that a payday lending regulation created by the agency be vacated. Attorney General James and the coalition of 24 attorneys general urge the Supreme Court to reverse the decision by the Fifth Circuit because it jeopardizes the beneficial consumer protection and regulatory actions taken by the CFPB. 

“The CFPB has proven that it is able to stand up for consumers and help states, including New York, to ensure that our residents are protected,” said Attorney General James. “That is why opponents are attacking the agency, and that is why I am proud to push back on these brazenly anti-consumer protection efforts. I will continue to work with my fellow attorneys general to defend the CFPB and ensure it is able to work with our respective states to help protect consumers throughout the country.”

In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, Congress established the CFPB to play a critical role in the stability of key sectors of the financial market and protect consumers against unfair and abusive business practices. Since its establishment, the CFPB has created and enforced nationwide consumer financial standards in areas ranging from mortgage lending requirements to debt-collection practices. Additionally, many CFPB regulations target financial sectors where individual states may face challenges in regulating fraudulent and abusive practices.

Attorney General James and the coalition note that if the appellate court decision takes effect, it could drastically restrict consumer protection efforts in their states, and would harm millions of Americans. The Fifth Circuit had invalidated a prior regulation issued by the CFPB, after concluding that the CFPB’s funding was unconstitutional. Attorney General James and the coalition caution that this approach, if adopted by the Supreme Court, could result in the invalidation of numerous CFPB rules and other regulatory actions. That result would harm millions of consumers around the country, while destabilizing the consumer financial sector. The amicus brief argues that this result is not mandated by the U.S. Constitution.

Leading this coalition of 24 attorneys general is part of Attorney General James’ ongoing efforts to protect consumers. As part of the Office of the Attorney General, Attorney General James oversees the Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau, which prosecutes businesses and individuals engaged in fraudulent, misleading, deceptive, or illegal trade practices and helps mediate thousands of complaints each year from individual consumers. Attorney General James regularly issues important alerts regarding potential scams and efforts to harm New York consumers, and has also worked closely with the CFPB. In January, Attorney General James and the CFPB sued Credit Acceptance Corporation (CAC), one of the nation’s largest subprime auto lenders, for deceiving thousands of low-income New Yorkers into taking out high-interest car loans. In May 2022, Attorney General James and the CFPB shut down a predatory debt collection operation that used deceptive and abusive tactics to illegally collect millions of dollars from hundreds of thousands of consumers. In April 2022, Attorney General James and the CFPB filed a lawsuit against MoneyGram International, Inc. and MoneyGram Payment Systems, Inc. (MoneyGram) — for repeatedly violating consumer protection laws.

Joining Attorney General James in filing today’s amicus brief are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaiʻi, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.

Interior Renderings Revealed For Estela At 414-445 Gerard Avenue In Mott Haven, The Bronx

 

The Domain Companies has shared a collection of interior renderings for Estela, a two-building rental property at 414 and 445 Gerard Avenue in the Mott Haven section of The Bronx. Designed by S9 Architecture, the development contains a mix of 380 market-rate apartments, 164 affordable housing units, and around 9,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space. The property is located near the Harlem River between East 144th and 146th Streets.

Residents will have access to 35,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenities including a large roof deck, a screening lounge, game rooms, coworking spaces, a children’s playroom, and a gym with double-height ceilings and a dedicated yoga room. Additional services include a 24/7 concierge, building-wide internet access, pet grooming stations, and a dog run.

Rendering of the Estela rooftop – Courtesy of VUW

Rendering of the Estela coworking suite – Courtesy of VUW

Rendering of the Estela gym – Courtesy of VUW

Rendering of the Estela clubroom – Courtesy of VUW

New Orleans-based interior design studio Farouki Farouki outfitted each home with wide-plank flooring, designer appliances and fixtures, open chef’s kitchens, and in-unit washer-dryers.

The residences at Estela range from studios to two-bedroom apartments, with market-rate rents ranging from the mid $2,000s up to the mid $4,000s. The Domain Companies opened an in-house leasing office this month at 445 Gerard Avenue.

Rendering of the Estela lobby – Courtesy of VUW

The buildings were designed to meet LEED Platinum certification standards through energy-efficient building systems, façade components, ventilation systems, and light fixtures.

Mayor Adams suspends the Land Use Process in Emergency Executive Order 406

 

WHEREAS, over the past several months, thousands of asylum seekers have been arriving in New York City, from the Southern border, without having any immediate plans for shelter; and

WHEREAS, the City now faces an unprecedented humanitarian crisis that requires it to take extraordinary measures to meet the immediate needs of the asylum seekers while continuing to serve the tens of thousands of people who are currently using the DHS Shelter System; and

WHEREAS, additional reasons for requiring the measures continued in this Order are set forth in Emergency Executive Order No. 224, dated October 7, 2022; and

WHEREAS, the state of emergency based on the arrival of thousands of individuals and families seeking asylum, first declared in Emergency Executive Order No. 224, dated October 7, 2022, and extended most recently by Emergency Executive Order No. 398, dated May 5, 2023, remains in effect;

NOW, THEREFORE, pursuant to the powers vested in me by the laws of the State of New York and the City of New York, including but not limited to the New York Executive Law, the New York City Charter and the Administrative Code of the City of New York, and the common law authority to protect the public in the event of an emergency:

Section 1. I hereby order that sections 1 and 2 of Emergency Executive Order No. 402, dated May 10, 2023, are extended for five (5) days.

• 2. I hereby direct that section 4(a) of Emergency Executive Order No. 224, dated October 7, 2022, is amended to read as follows:

I hereby direct that the following laws and rules related to the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure, and other procedures applicable to the City planning and land use review processes, to the extent they would apply to the siting, leasing, construction and operations of facilities, including homeless shelters, created and/or expanded for use in response to the asylum emergency, require the holding of public hearings, the certification of applications, the submission of recommendations, any required or necessary voting, the taking of final actions, and the issuance of determinations, are suspended for the duration of the State of Emergency: sections 195, 197-d, 203, and 3020, subdivisions (b) through (h) of section 197-c, and subdivision (a) of section 824 of the Charter, sections 21-309, 21-312, 25-303, 25-306, 25-308, 25-309, 25-310 and 25-313 of the Administrative Code, and sections 1-05.5 and 1-07.5 of Title 2 and sections 2-02 through 2-07 of Title 62 of the Rules of the City of New York.

• 3. This Emergency Executive Order shall take effect immediately and shall remain in effect for five (5) days unless it is terminated or modified at an earlier date whichever occurs first.
• 4. The provisions of this Order are subject to applicable State laws and rules, and emergency orders issued by the Governor.

Eric Adams

Mayor

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson - Bronx Week 2023

 

Dear Neighbor,

 

What a week! We hope you have been enjoying Bronx Week 2023 as much as we have. These celebrations have been a true labor of love and we are so happy to share these experiences with all of you. Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Veterans Appreciation Luncheon, Centenarian Celebration, Silent Disco, and Health Day!

 

We hope you'll join us once more for our Prom Dress & Suit Giveaway this Thursday at 4 PM-8 PM at Borough Hall and at our Bronx Week Food & Arts Festival, Parade, and Concert on Sunday, May 21st along the Grand Concourse.

 

Once again, thank you to The Bronx Tourism Council, Bronx Economic Development Corporation, Montefiore Einstein, and all of our other incredible sponsors who have been working alongside our team at Borough Hall to ensure that Bronx Week 2023 is successful.

 

Click here for our calendar of events. We hope to see you there!

 

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 718-590-3500 or email us at webmail@bronxbp.nyc.gov.

 

In partnership,

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson

Thank you for joining us for our Veterans Appreciation event!

Our veterans sacrifice so much to protect us and our freedoms. We must celebrate them every day! Thank you for all you’ve done and all that you continue to do for us.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at our Centenarian Event!

 

What a privilege it is to live to see a century! Our older adults are the backbone of our community. We cherish you! Thank you for all you have done.

Our Silent Disco was a huge success! Thank you to everyone who joined us.

Thank you to the Woodlawn Cemetery and Conservancy for hosting us. We had a blast!

Woodlawn Cemetery & Conservancy is so much more than meets the eye! They are a tourist attraction with so much culture and history.

With 400 acres of Bronx green space, a national historic landmark, a Level II Arboretum, facilitator of several B2CC programs, tours, concerts and much more, there's so much to see.

We aren’t finished just yet. Be on the lookout for more Bronx Week celebrations in the coming days.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Bronx Week Health Day & Skate Party! We had a blast!

Thank you to our partners and sponsors for helping us bring this incredible event to Bronxites; and thank you to my amazing staff for all of their hard work! This was a true labor of love.

UPCOMING EVENTS

10 RIKERS ISLAND INMATES INDICTED FOR ASSAULTS IN JAILS THAT LEFT FOUR MEN WITH VICIOUS INJURIES

 

Nine Alleged Bloods Members Slashed and Punched Crips in Jailhouse “War” One Inmate Brutally Attacked New Detainee in Petty Dispute

 Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that four current and six former inmates have been indicted for violent attacks in Rikers Island jails. Three men were brutally beaten during a “war” between alleged Bloods and Crips, and one man was left with deep wounds after a petty dispute.

 District Attorney Clark said, “We continue to prosecute violence in our jails, even when the victims do not cooperate with the investigation out of fear, because we must send the message that no one should be subjected to wanton brutality. Along with our Rikers Island Prosecution Bureau, I started the Rikers Island Violence Reduction Initiative to target crime drivers who have committed multiple or extreme acts of violence to other inmates.”

 Department of Correction Commissioner Louis A. Molina said, “Violence in our jails will not be tolerated. No one, no matter who or where they are, should be subjected to senseless violence. Perpetrators need to be charged if the evidence warrants, and held accountable if they are found guilty. I want to thank our Correction Intelligence Bureau, for their assistance with this investigation and District Attorney Clark and her office for prosecuting this case.”

 District Attorney Clark said the 10 defendants were charged in three indictments with Attempted Gang Assault in the first-degree, second-degree Assault--nine defendants were also charged with third-degree Assault. The alleged Bloods gang members are Marlon Willocks, 28, Joshua Straud, 26, Akieme Nesbitt, 43, Javon Morris, 26, Donnell Hickman, 23, Kali Brown, 23, Jacquin Gordon, 27, Durail Miles, 31, and Andy Punnette, 37. David Gonsalves, 33, is the 10th defendant.

 Nesbitt, Gonsalves and Miles were arraigned this week in Bronx Supreme Court. Bail was set at $200,000 cash/$200,000 bond each for Nesbitt and Gonsalves, and at $100,000 cash/$100,000 bond for Miles. The other defendants are awaiting arraignment.

 According to the investigation, on October 8, 2022, in the George R. Vierno Center, Willocks, Straud, Nesbitt, Morris, Hickman and Brown allegedly beat an alleged Crip gang member they believed had attacked a Blood on the street. When another inmate stepped in to help his fellow Crip, he was also assaulted. Both victims were punched and slashed and one was beaten with a cane.

 According to the investigation, on October 13, 2022, in the George R. Vierno Center, Gordon, Miles and Punnette allegedly attacked a rival Crip gang member from behind while the victim was using a jail telephone. The defendants slashed the victim and then punched and stomped on him.

 According to the investigation, on March 10, 2023, in the Eric M. Taylor Center, Gonsalves approached a new detainee who was moving his bedding near Gonsalves and his crew. The defendant and his cohorts allegedly trapped the victim in a corner and beat him. Gonsalves then allegedly slashed the victim in the back twice causing deep wounds.

 District Attorney Clark thanked DOC Investigators Korab Hasangjekaj, Walter Holmes, Jeffrey Rios and Cecil Phillips of the Department of Correction Intelligence Bureau for their work in these investigations.

An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

BROOKLYN MAN SENTENCED TO 22 YEARS IN PRISON FOR FATAL BROAD DAYLIGHT SHOOTING ON WHITE PLAINS ROAD

 

Defendant Found Guilty of Manslaughter and Criminal Possession of Weapon After Jury Trial

 Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced today that a Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 22 years in prison for Manslaughter and seven years in prison for Criminal Possession of a Weapon for shooting a man on White Plains Road.

 District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant shot the victim three times in the neck in broad daylight in a commercial area near a train station, killing him. The defendant then fled to California and was on the run for months. Today, he was sentenced for this senseless fatal shooting.”

 District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Jermaine Sutherland, 33, of Brooklyn, NY, was sentenced today to prison by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Timothy Lewis. The defendant was sentenced to 22 years in prison and five years of post-release supervision for first-degree Manslaughter, and seven years in prison and five years of post-release supervision for second degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon, to run concurrently. He was found guilty of the charges after a jury trial last month.

 According to the investigation, in the morning on September 10, 2020, at the corner of 225th Street and White Plains Road, the victim, Caron Anthony Sessoms, was beaten by an individual who was not the defendant. At approximately 11:00 a.m., Sessoms, who lived nearby, returned with three friends. Sutherland, who was in the area with other people, went to a vehicle and returned with a gun. Sutherland’s two other friends also displayed guns. An argument broke out between Sessoms and the group. When the argument appeared to end, the defendant approached the victim, who did not have a weapon but pretended to have one, and shot him three times in the neck. While the victim was on the ground injured, his friend ran away, then returned and fired at Sutherland and his friend, who then returned fire. Sessoms was taken to Jacobi Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. The defendant was extradited to the Bronx in December 2020.

District Attorney Clark thanked NYPD Detective Patrick Jean of the 47th Precinct and NYPD Detective Patrick Flatley of Bronx Homicide.

Russian National Charged with Ransomware Attacks Against Critical Infrastructure

 

Ransomware Attacks Against Law Enforcement Agencies in Washington, D.C. and New Jersey, As Well As Other Victims Worldwide; U.S. Department of State Offers Reward Up to $10M

The Justice Department today unsealed two indictments charging a Russian national and resident with using three different ransomware variants to attack numerous victims throughout the United States, including law enforcement agencies in Washington, D.C. and New Jersey, as well as victims in healthcare and other sectors nationwide.

According to the indictment obtained in the District of New Jersey, from at least as early as 2020, Mikhail Pavlovich Matveev, aka Wazawaka, aka m1x, aka Boriselcin, aka Uhodiransomwar, allegedly participated in conspiracies to deploy three ransomware variants. These variants are known as LockBit, Babuk, and Hive, and Matveev transmitted ransom demands in connection with each. The perpetrators behind each of these variants, including Matveev, have allegedly used these types of ransomware to attack thousands of victims in the United States and around the world. These victims include law enforcement and other government agencies, hospitals, and schools. Total ransom demands allegedly made by the members of these three global ransomware campaigns to their victims amount to as much as $400 million, while total victim ransom payments amount to as much as $200 million.

“From his home base in Russia, Matveev allegedly used multiple ransomware variants to attack critical infrastructure around the world, including hospitals, government agencies, and victims in other sectors,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These international crimes demand a coordinated response. We will not relent in imposing consequences on the most egregious actors in the cybercrime ecosystem.”

On or about June 25, 2020, Matveev and his LockBit coconspirators allegedly deployed LockBit ransomware against a law enforcement agency in Passaic County, New Jersey. Additionally, on or about May 27, 2022, Matveev and his Hive coconspirators allegedly deployed Hive against a nonprofit behavioral healthcare organization headquartered in Mercer County, New Jersey. On April 26, 2021, Matveev and his Babuk coconspirators allegedly deployed Babuk against the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C.

“From Russia and hiding behind multiple aliases, Matveev is alleged to have used these ransomware strains to encrypt and hold hostage for ransom the data of numerous victims, including hospitals, schools, nonprofits, and law enforcement agencies, like the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C.,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “Thanks to the extraordinary investigative work of prosecutors from my office and our FBI partners, Matveev no longer hides in the shadows – we have publicly identified his criminal acts and charged him with multiple federal crimes. Let today’s charges be a reminder to cybercriminals everywhere – my office is devoted to combatting cybercrime and will spare no resources in bringing to justice those who use ransomware attacks to target victims.” 

According to the indictment obtained in the District of Columbia, between April 21, 2021, and May 9, 2021, Matveev allegedly participated in conspiracies to deploy Babuk and to transmit a ransom demand. Specifically, on April 26, 2021, Matveev and his Babuk co-conspirators allegedly deployed Babuk ransomware against the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., and then threatened to disclose sensitive information to the public unless a payment was made.

“Data theft and extortion attempts by ransomware groups are corrosive, cynical attacks on key institutions and the good people behind them as they go about their business and serve the public,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “Whether these criminals target law enforcement, other government agencies, or private companies like health care providers, we will use every tool at our disposal to prosecute and punish such offenses. Thanks to exceptional work by our partners here, we identified and charged this culprit.”

“The FBI is steadfast in our commitment to disrupting cybercriminals like Matveev,” said Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “The FBI will continue to impose costs on cyber adversaries through our joint collaboration with our private sector and international partners, and we will not tolerate these criminal acts against American citizens.”

The LockBit ransomware variant first appeared around January 2020. LockBit actors have executed over 1,400 attacks against victims in the United States and around the world, issuing over $100 million in ransom demands and receiving over $75 million in ransom payments.

The Babuk ransomware variant first appeared around December 2020. Babuk actors executed over 65 attacks against victims in the United States and around the world, issuing over $49 million in ransom demands and receiving as much as $13 million in ransom payments.

Since June 2021, the Hive ransomware group has targeted more than 1,400 victims around the world and received as much as $120 million in ransom payments.

The LockBit, Babuk, and Hive ransomware variants operated in the same general manner: first, the ransomware actors would identify and unlawfully access vulnerable computer systems, sometimes through their own hacking, or by purchasing stolen access credentials from others. Second, the actors would deploy the ransomware variant within the victim computer system, allowing the actors to encrypt and steal data thereon. Next, the actors would send a ransom note to the victim demanding a payment in exchange for decrypting the victim’s data or refraining from sharing it publicly. Finally, the ransomware actors would negotiate a ransom amount with each victim willing to pay. If a victim did not pay, ransomware actors would often post that victim’s data on a public website, often called a data leak site.  

Matveev is charged with conspiring to transmit ransom demands, conspiring to damage protected computers, and intentionally damaging protected computers. If convicted, he faces over 20 years in prison. 

The FBI Newark Field Office’s Cyber Crimes Task Force is investigating the case with valuable assistance from the Jersey City Police Department, New Jersey State Police, Newark IRS Criminal Investigation, and international partners from European Cyber Crime Centre of Europol, National Police Agency of Japan, Gendarmerie Nationale Cyberspace Command of France, National Crime Agency and South West Regional Organized Crime Unit of the United Kingdom, Kantonspolizei Zürich of Switzerland, High-Tech Crime Unit of the Dutch Police Services Agency of the Netherlands, Bundeskriminalamt and Landeskriminalamt of Germany, Mossos d'Esquadra Police Department of Spain, Norwegian Police Service of Norway, and Swedish Police Authority of Sweden.

Trial Attorneys Jessica C. Peck, Benjamin Proctor, and Jorge Gonzalez of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS); Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew M. Trombly and David E. Malagold for the District of New Jersey’s Cybercrime Unit in Newark; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Aloi for the District of Columbia’s Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section are prosecuting the case.

The FBI Tampa Field Office and Orlando Resident Agency, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Chauncey Bratt for the Middle District of Florida and CCIPS Trial Attorneys Christen Gallagher and Alison Zitron, made critical contributions to the case. The FBI Washington Field Office and Metropolitan Police Department also provided valuable assistance.

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and National Security Division also provided significant assistance.

Victims of LockBit, Babuk, or Hive ransomware should contact their local FBI field office for further information. For additional information on ransomware, including the LockBit, Babuk, and Hive variants, please visit StopRansomware.gov.

Additionally, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today announced that it is designating the defendant for his role in launching ransomware attacks against U.S. law enforcement, businesses, and critical infrastructure.

Finally, the Department of State has also announced an award of up to $10 million for information that leads to the arrest and/or conviction of this defendant. Information that may be eligible for this award can be submitted at tips.fbi.gov or RewardsForJustice.net. Congress established the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program in 2013 to support law enforcement efforts to dismantle transnational criminal organizations and bring their leaders and members to justice. The Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs manages the program in coordination with other U.S. federal agencies.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Governor Hochul Announces $8 Million Now Available for New Climate Smart Community Projects

 

Grant Funding Helps Municipalities Adopt Green Infrastructure, Greenhouse Gas Reduction, and Storm Resiliency Initiatives

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced $8 million is now available for the Climate Smart Communities Grant program to help municipalities take action to address climate change. Funding is available for projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the ongoing impacts of climate change. Eligible projects can include reducing flood risk, increasing natural resiliency, relocating or retrofitting critical infrastructure, and climate change planning and assessment projects as part of Climate Smart Communities certification.

"As we continue to see the effects of climate change and extreme weather events, this significant funding through New York's Climate Smart Communities Program is critical to supporting local efforts that protect residents and strengthens infrastructure,” Governor Hochul said. "These grants will help empower locally-driven, bold action to help meet New York's ambitious climate goals, while creating resilient communities that set an example for other municipalities to follow."

Established in 2016, the State Department of Environmental Conservation's (DEC) Climate Smart Communities Grant Program is a 50/50 matching program. It supports municipalities seeking to become certified Climate Smart Communities and implement projects that advance the State's climate change goals by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, mitigating flood risk, and helping to prepare for extreme weather. The program supports the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act), which requires New York to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 85 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. Since the program's inception, DEC awarded more than $60 million to municipalities in support of local climate mitigation and adaptation projects. More information about this grant program and the 2023 Request for Applications are available on the DEC website.

Up to $7 million is available for grants of between $50,000 and $2 million for implementation of projects that could include:

• Reducing vehicle miles traveled;
• Reducing food waste;
• Reducing hydrofluorocarbon emissions from refrigeration and other cooling equipment;
• Increasing natural resiliency through restoration or preservation of wetlands and floodplains;
• Reducing future flood risk, including by relocating or retrofitting critical infrastructure;
• Preparing for extreme weather events, and
• Renewable energy projects in municipally-owned low-income housing.

In addition, up to $1 million is available for certification grants of between $10,000 and $200,000 for planning, inventory, and assessment projects that are aligned with 19 specific Climate Smart Communities Certification actions in the areas of greenhouse gas mitigation, climate adaptation, and land use.

Applications are due by 3 p.m. on July 28, 2023. To apply for this latest round of grants, visit the New York State Consolidated Funding Application (CFA), which is available online: apps.cio.ny.gov/apps/cfa.

The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act) requires that New York's disadvantaged communities receive at least 35 percent of the benefits of spending on clean energy and energy efficiency programs, with a goal of 40 percent. The Climate Justice Working Group recently finalized criteria to identify disadvantaged communities to ensure that frontline and otherwise underserved communities benefit from the state's historic transition to cleaner sources of energy, reduced pollution and cleaner air, and economic opportunities. Given this important objective of the Climate Act, implementation projects occurring in disadvantaged communities and certification projects occurring in municipalities with disadvantaged communities will receive additional points in the scoring criteria for applications for Climate Smart Communities grants.

These grants are part of a larger program to support community engagement in local climate action. There are currently 381 registered Climate Smart Communities, representing more than 9.4 million New Yorkers. To be designated a registered community, municipalities make a commitment to act on climate change by passing a formal resolution that includes a 10-point pledge. Since 2014, 118 municipalities completed the rigorous review process to be designated as certified Climate Smart Communities. These certified communities have gone beyond the pledge to complete and document a suite of actions that mitigate and adapt to climate change at the local level. More information about the certification program is available online: climatesmart.ny.gov.

The Climate Smart Communities funding programs are supported by the State's Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). New York's EPF supports climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, improves agricultural resources to promote sustainable agriculture, protects our water sources, advances conservation efforts, and provides recreational opportunities for New Yorkers. In the FY 2024 State Budget, Governor Hochul maintained EPF funding at $400 million, the highest level of funding in the program's history. The EPF also provides funding for critical environmental programs such as land acquisition, farmland protection, invasive species prevention and eradication, enhanced recreational access, water quality improvement, and an aggressive environmental justice agenda.

NYSERDA's Clean Energy Communities program supports the Climate Smart Communities program, offering additional strategies and funding opportunities to assist New York State municipalities that implement clean energy projects and initiatives. A regional coordinator network provides support to municipalities for both programs. Learn more online.

The Climate Smart Communities (CSC) program is an interagency initiative of New York State and several other state entities in sponsor the program, including DEC, the Department of Public Service, Department of State, Department of Transportation, Department of Health, NYSERDA, New York Power Authority (NYPA) and the New York State Division of Homes and Community Renewal (HCR).

New York State's Nation-Leading Climate Plan

New York State's nation-leading climate agenda calls for an orderly and just transition that creates family-sustaining jobs, continues fostering a green economy across all sectors and ensures that at least 35 percent, with a goal of 40 percent, of the benefits of clean energy and energy efficiency investments are directed to disadvantaged communities. Guided by some of the nation's most aggressive climate and clean energy initiatives, New York is on a path to achieving a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and economywide carbon neutrality by mid-century. A cornerstone of this transition is New York's unprecedented clean energy investments, including more than $35 billion in 120 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the state, $6.8 billion to reduce building emissions, $1.8 billion to scale up solar, more than $1 billion for clean transportation initiatives, and over $1.8 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. These and other investments are supporting more than 165,000 jobs in New York's clean energy sector in 2021 and a 2,100 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, New York also adopted zero-emission vehicle regulations, including requiring all new passenger cars and light-duty trucks sold in the State be zero emission by 2035. Partnerships are continuing to advance New York's climate action with nearly 400 registered and 100 certified Climate Smart Communities, nearly 500 Clean Energy Communities, and the State's largest community air monitoring initiative in 10 disadvantaged communities across the state to help target air pollution and combat climate change.