NYPIRG is proud to be partnering with the New York City Civic Engagement Commission to get out the vote for The People’s Money, the annual citywide Participatory Budgeting initiative where community members decide how to spend part of the city’s budget.

From now through June 25th, New Yorkers age 11 and up, regardless of immigration status, can decide how to spend $4 million of city funds on projects in their community.

Last year, New Yorkers voted to fund 20 expense projects for a total of $3.5 million. The projects address a wide range of community needs, including mental health, food safety, youth and arts programming, and more.

The People’s Money is the only citywide process utilizing mayoral expense funding, meaning it can fund programs, events, and services. This program is also unique in that it is a citywide process where New Yorkers 11 years and older can participate regardless of the New York City Council district that they live in. To learn more about the process, visit participate.nyc.gov.

Here is how to vote before the June 25th deadline:

Voting online is easy. The online ballot is available in English and 13 additional languages. Visit this link and follow the instructions.

Thank you for making your voice heard! The winning projects will be announced this summer.

What would guaranteed, comprehensive healthcare mean for you and your community?

NYPIRG and our co-hosts held a town hall to discuss how the New York Health Act — our state's universal healthcare bill — will greatly expand healthcare for everyone who lives or works full time in New York and make it truly affordable for all. We also discussed how to fight back against current threats to cut and privatize traditional, public Medicaid and Medicare, immigrant rights, and the barriers to healthcare that are impacting you and your community.

During New York City budget negotiations, NYPIRG and our allies rallied to support CUNY opportunity programs, student scholarships, student services, and free student MetroCards.

Cosponsors: NYPIRG, CUNY USS, PSC/CUNY, Young Invincibles, UAspire, and CUNY Rising Alliance

NYPIRG, Renewable Heat Now, and our allies made a powerful push to pass the NY HEAT Act in Albany only one week before the end of the legislative session!

The NY HEAT Act — a crucial bill for lower energy bills, cleaner heat, and a healthier future — is practical, popular, and necessary. This bill will:

• Stop wasteful fracked gas expansion paid for by our utility bills.
• Invest in modern, clean energy like heat pumps.
• Make energy more affordable for all.

The state legislature cannot let another session go by without passing the NY HEAT Act. The gas utilites keep raising rates to pay for costly new fracked gas pipes — this is outrageous. The NY HEAT Act is the bill that we need to start the transition to clean home energy, and we need it NOW!

With momentum growing in the New York State Legislature to pass a statewide rebate program for purchasing electric lawn equipment, representatives from STIHL, EGO, Milwaukee Tools, Ryobi, The Home Depot, and Ace Hardware joined organizers from NYPIRG, Environment America, and other advocacy groups for an informative day of testing out cleaner, quieter electric lawn equipment. The “Electric Lawn Equipment Demo Day” offered state legislators and their staff, as well local residents, the opportunity to learn about the benefits of going electric.

NYPIRG was with Beyond Plastics and many other advocates who want to put people and planet over plastic in New York State. We rallied in support of the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act and the Bigger Better Bottle Bill, which we need passed this legislative session in order to address New York's solid waste crisis!

NYPIRG rallied with Council Members Carmen De La Rosa and Lincoln Restler in support of a bill to close a dangerous landlord loophole in Local Law 97, New York City's nation-leading local jobs and climate law!

In February, De La Rosa and Restler introduced Intro 1180, legislation to close a loophole created by Mayor Eric Adams at the behest of the real estate lobby.

This loophole allows building owners to buy their way out of reducing their pollution by purchasing Renewable Energy Credits in place of cutting about 50% of the greenhouse gases that they produce. This defeats the purpose of Local Law 97, which is already setting an example for the nation for how to lower energy bills, create good jobs, and reduce air pollution while helping meet our urgent climate goals.

At the event, we showcased two buildings near each other in Lower Manhattan: One is well on its way to becoming energy efficient, while the other is in danger of continuing to waste energy, endangering our health and environment.

Thanks to all who joined us to call for clean air and lower bills for all New Yorkers!

On Monday, May 5, NYPIRG Staff Attorney Kyle Giller testified at the New York City Banking Commission hearing about the need to divest our tax dollars from Wall Street and establish a public bank that could reinvest our tax dollars into local community needs.

On Tuesday, May 6th, NYPIRG and our allies went to Albany to meet with state legislators and rally in support of the New York State Public Banking Act and the Bank of Rochester Act, which will provide a path for public investment into climate infrastructure, fair financial services, and affordable housing.

NYPIRG and our coalition partners turned out in full force to advocate for the Fair Pricing Act because we know that it is past time to lower hospital prices in New York. Affordable healthcare is a fundamental right for every New Yorker!

Reconnecting Queens: Students Lead the Charge for Subway Expansion at NYPIRG's QueensLink Town Hall

More than 100 students, faculty, and community members gathered at Queens College for a town hall spotlighting the QueensLink proposal — a community-driven plan to transform the defunct Rockaway Beach Branch into a new north-south subway line through Queens. Hosted by NYPIRG, the event featured interactive stations, personal storytelling, and direct engagement with project leaders. With Queens residents facing some of the city's longest and most unreliable commutes, attendees voiced strong support for the plan’s potential to connect transit-starved neighborhoods, slash travel times, and foster sustainable growth. Student organizers emphasized the importance of community voices in shaping transit policy, especially as QueensLink clears key funding hurdles and gains political momentum.

NYPIRG and our coalition partners stood with legislative leaders fighting for all New Yorkers to help offset the slashing of billions of dollars in federal funding to New York by rallying to restore New York’s stock sales tax.

The absurd corporate stock sales tax rebate only benefits speculators and billionaire hedge fund owners. Restoring the sales tax will recoup an estimated $13 to $20 billion annually to finance critical public services in health care and mental health, education from pre-school to supporting CUNY and SUNY, sorely needed infrastructure improvements from mass transit to affordable housing, and addressing environmental concerns, climate change, and local government aid.

NYPIRG and our coalition partners held an Earth Day rally in support of the NY HEAT Act!

The NY HEAT Act is the top climate priority of New York’s environmental movement, with its promise of lower energy bills while eliminating massive subsidies to the fracked gas industry. As New Yorkers contend with the threats of climate change and rising costs of living, the rally highlighted the need for making energy more affordable while moving off of fossil fuels.

The event featured the NY HEAT Act’s lead sponsors in the New York State Legislature, Senator Liz Krueger and Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon, along with other elected officials.

NYPIRG students and staff joined a news conference for the release of a new report about city bus performance from New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. The report contains:

• Novel research about bus speeds, reliability, and on-time performance
• An analysis of the city and Metropolitan Transportation Authority's bus priority initiatives to-date
• Recommendations for creating a high-quality, affordable bus system for New Yorkers

NYPIRG organized a townhall to show support for our nation-leading climate and jobs law, Local Law 97, and to learn about all of its successes, threats, and opportunities!

Now more than ever, New York needs to protect New Yorkers, and that means fighting climate change. The real estate industry and big money do not like it, but we know we cannot wait for climate action to protect our communities. New York City deserves reduced air pollution, more jobs, and lower utility bills!

NYPIRG IS 50 YEARS OLD!

That is an incredible testament to the dedication, hard work, and luck that has allowed us to meet the half-century mark. It is quite a milestone – which we marked with the NYPIRG 50th Anniversary Celebration.

The event was a rousing success, and we all had a wonderful time celebrating NYPIRG’s decades of tireless work for the public interest, reconnecting with friends and colleagues from years past, and honoring our 2023 Changemaker Award recipients – including renowned author and activist Jane Fonda!

We are pleased to share these event photos and this commemorative video that highlights NYPIRG's decades of tireless work for the public interest.

Thank you so much to everyone who was involved – our honorees, current and former students and staff, friends, colleagues, and supporters – for your generous support and steadfast commitment to our crucial mission.

Thanks again, and we look forward to the work ahead!