10/01/2026
The Rise to Resilience (R2R) Coalition spent 2 days during Climate Week NYC participating in infrastructure tours, examining the impact of flooding as we seek to increase city and state funding for resilience plans and projects in communities most impacted by the climate crisis.
From the "Jewel Streets" in East New York to Hollis, Queens, we visited communities experiencing the most significant impacts of flooding firsthand.
In East New York, some residents are seeking home retrofits and buyouts as the City proposes raising streets by as much as 10 feet in some areas.
In Hollis, residents gathered at the site of a home that was recently demolished by the City to share their experiences with chronic flooding. After 21 years in the neighborhood, one resident told us they’re now packing up and moving because of how frequent the flooding has become.
Seeing these sites in-person, and listening to the people who live there, underscores why community voices must be part of conversations about climate resilience and infrastructure.
Thank you to our friends at the East New York Community Land Trust and Southeast Queens Residents Environmental Justice Coalition for leading these critical conversations.
