Green Infrastructure Grants
Rooftops account for a sizable portion of impervious area (a surface that does not absorb rain water) in New York City. Green roofs offer are an important opportunity to increase pervious area (a surface that absorbs rain water) since they naturally absorb and filter rain water before it can enter our sewer system.
We are encouraging property owners to go green by releasing a streamlined green roof funding schedule for our Green Infrastructure Grant Program. The funding schedule and project guidelines provide applicants with an upfront understanding of our cost-effectiveness criteria for green roof projects, and eliminates uncertainty over how much funding may be available. By providing this information to applicants in advance, we are able to fast track green roof grant applications, with anticipated design approval within 90 days from the submittal date. The highest funding rate of $30 per square foot (SF) is available for projects that include 3,500–20,000 SF of planted area and that have 4 inches of growing media depth, with reduced rates available for projects with shallower depths. For those projects meeting the requirements for $30/SF, this is the highest green roof incentive in the nation.
Reimbursement Rates ($/SF) for Green Roof Projects
Projects with greater than 20,000 SF of planted area are also eligible for funding, per the table above. The reduced $/SF rate for planted area beyond 20,000 SF takes into account economies of scale that larger projects benefit from. Setting the funding schedule in this manner helps us maximize the cost-effectiveness of funding committed to green roof projects.
To date, we have committed more than $14.5 million to 35 projects through the Green Infrastructure Grant Program. Non-profit organizations, private property owners, and businesses are eligible for funding for projects that use green infrastructure to reduce or manage stormwater on private property. Interested applicants can find more details at nyc.gov/dep/grantprogram, or email gigrant@dep.nyc.gov with questions.
