Success in Staten Island, Block by Block

On December 8, 2011 Council Member Debi Rose, local community organizations and representatives from the Pratt Center for Community Development gathered at a special forum spotlighting the strides that Staten Island is making toward energy efficiency through the Retrofit NYC Block by Block program. The forum featured a special presentation by students from Wagner College on their research into ways to support communities getting involved in retrofitting at a mass scale. According to Rose, “We are seeing exciting results in the borough. While Staten Island makes up 6% of the population of New York City, everyone here well knows that our impact and value to the City is much greater – and that’s especially true in the field of retrofits. Of all the Green Jobs Green New York audits conducted as of the end of September – Staten Island has represented a full 27% of the fray.”

Since its inception in 2010, Retrofit SI Block by Block – the local arm of the citywide program – has been an innovative partnership between Neighborhood Housing Services of Staten Island and Pratt Center for Community Development. The program helps neighborhoods understand the benefits of increasing energy efficiency in their homes and houses of worship and helps them access public incentive programs that can assist in carrying out energy efficient improvements. “Communities in Staten Island are strengthened when people work together to ensure that homes are healthy, families can afford to live there, and local jobs are created -- that’s exactly what we’re doing with Retrofit SI Block by Block,” said Alfred Gill, director of NHS of Staten Island. “With the experience we’ve gained in the program, we’re going to be able to take the work even farther as a contractor with NYSERDA’s Green Jobs Green New York Program.”

The Retrofit Block by Block model is based on the premised that change begins locally, and that neighbors communicating their experiences with each other are an effective and essential way to reduce barriers to “going green.” Citywide, the program has reached 17,000 people with vital information, and created 10 full time jobs from the work. According to Adam Friedman, Director of the Pratt Center for Community Development, “We’re aiming to touch every district in New York City to share the important lessons learned in this program, and we are excited to begin in Staten Island. Neighborhood by neighborhood, we’re working to create a more sustainable city where everyone, regardless of income, has access to a healthy environment."