ALL(bany) Together weaves together a diverse array of climate resilience and public health solutions for the City of Albany. We serve formerly redlined communities who have faced legacy pollution, persistent disinvestment, and a history of disproportionate health burdens, all of which will be worsened by climate change without intervention. Together, eight leading local groups address these problems holistically, with the guidance of community members, interweaving independent strategies which enhance climate resilience and reduced public health burdens among Albany’s most historically disenfranchised neighborhoods. This project brings $20M to the community and will be invested in ways that promote jobs and economic development, build durable facilities, engage the community, and improve quality of life. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2.5 years, and no more than three years.
WHEN PROGRESS IS NOT PROGRESSIVE FOR ALL
Neighborhoods within the Project Area were physically separated from each other and the Hudson River by the construction of the massive Empire State Plaza and I-787 in the 1960’s, displacing many residents. This construction created an intentional, lingering divide among Project Area communities, which has been worsened by continued disinvestment. During the demolition and construction of the Empire State Plaza, an era that spanned from 1962–1978, the South End neighborhood lost well over 1,100 buildings, and more than 300 businesses, to demolition. Between 7,000 and 9,000 people—upwards of 5% of the city’s population—were displaced.
It’s no surprise, then, that 55% of residents in our Project Area are low-income, 75% are people of color, and 19% have disabilities, with an 11% unemployment rate and a median income of $29,993. These neighborhoods are primarily food and banking deserts which face infrastructure decay and lack resilient housing.
UPDATE: As of May 2, 2025, the US EPA issued a termination notice without cause for the $20 million Community Change Grant Agreement it issued in January 2025. While we contest this termination, we want our community to understand what has been taken from us with this wrongful grant termination - and what is possible with restored funding.
Learn more about projects and partners
click on a logo to learn more or continue scrolling
Trinity Alliance of the Capital Region
Trinity Alliance of the Capital Region serves as the Lead Applicant and has a longstanding history of supporting local community-based organizations and providing much needed services within the Project Area. Trinity Alliance has a deep commitment to delivering results that directly respond to the needs of the community and many of its board members reside in the project area.
Trinity’s $10.9M funding portion would construct a Community Resilience Hub as part of their planned expansion. This new building would serve as a sustainable emergency shelter available to the public in the face of natural disasters, emergencies, or other crises.
As the Lead, Trinity Alliance is responsible for the overall management, performance, oversight and reporting responsibilities and serve as the grant’s fiscal manager.
Trinity Alliance CEO Daquetta Jones-Johnson shares the value of this collaborative project and the impact of Trinity’s new building space.
Clean+Healthy
As the statutory partner, Clean+Healthy oversees the Collaborative Governance, facilitates joint decision-making and program integration across project partners, and provides communications support to all project partners. They serve as the project’s programmatic manager.
Underground Railroad Education Center
UREC is constructing an expanded education space that will serve as the Northern Community Resilience Hub, providing the same support across the City as Trinity’s Resilience Hub will, to increase accessibility for all residents. In addition to creating event space for the community, it will have systems in place to maintain power, provide supplies such as food, and implement emergency response plans as needed.
Underground Railroad Education Center Co-Founder Paul Stewart shares the impact of UREC’s new Interpretive Center for the community.
Capital Area Urban League (CAUL)
Capital Area Urban League is expanding their clean energy workforce development program to connect an additional 90 Albany residents to training for the Clean Energy economy, subsidizing participants and providing wraparound services to support their employment search.
CAUL President & CEO April Land reveals the boost to Albany residents from their workforce training and why EPA funding matters.
Radix Ecological Sustainability Center
Radix Ecological Sustainability Center will plant 200 more trees to cut air pollution and cool neighborhoods, expand their Community Compost Initiative to more neighborhoods and subsidize up to 200 new clients, increase community education programs, and install air monitors in priority areas, and create an alert system to increase public awareness of air quality hazards.
Radix Executive Director Stacy Pettigrew shares why tree planting, composting, and air monitoring matter deeply to Albany's community health
Affordable Housing Partnership (AHP)
AHP and Arbor Hill Development Corporation will help home owners with much-needed improvements that increase climate resilience. AHP-led home renovations will address indoor pollution like asbestos and mold to reduce indoor health hazards and enable future clean energy upgrades and access to grants.
AHP Executive Director Susan Cotner explains how targeted home renovations improve resident health and prepare for clean-energy solutions.
Arbor Hill Development Corporation (AHDC)
AHDC and AHP fund home improvements that increase climate resilience. AHDC’s block approach prioritizes increasing energy efficiency, installing clean energy solutions, and improving residential comfort in the face of extreme heat. Older people and young children living in aging housing often have to go without effective and efficient air conditioning, threatening their health. As temperatures rise, solutions like air-source heat pumps will protect the health and budgets of vulnerable people.
AHDC Executive Director Arlene Way underscores the need for clean energy renovations for Albany residents, and how the frozen grant threatens the project.
AVillage
AVillage plays a vital role to drive community engagement through their Innovation Block Ambassadors, many community events including Night Markets, Friday Fish Fries, and more. AVillage builds direct connections to residents across the project area for input and to promote participation in grant-funded opportunities provided by ALL(bany) Together partners.
