Love Your Block

2022-2023 Love Your Block Program 

The City of Albany has recently been awarded the Love Your Block grant through Cities of Service and John Hopkins University with funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies. Started in 2009, Love Your Block has been implemented in various cities across the country, from Phoenix, Arizona to El Paso, Texas to Birmingham, Alabama and Salt Lake City, Utah. We are thrilled to have Albany, New York as another city to benefit from this program in both 2022 and 2023. 

Past projects in other cities have included neighborhood clean ups, installing more park benches and street lighting, starting community gardens in vacant lots, and painting murals. Here in Albany, as a part of Love Your Block, we will be focusing our efforts on addressing blight along with making minor repairs to front porches and stoops. 

Application Documents - COMING SOON

Albany Houses 2

Contact Us

Tabora Marcus - LYB Fellow

Phone | Email Tabora

Erin Johanns - LYB AmeriCorps VISTA

Phone | Email Erin

Mission

This $20,000 grant aims to combat problems surrounding urban blight, foster neighborhood revitalization, and spur positive community driven change one block at a time. The Love Your Block Program is specifically targeting neighborhoods that have been previously redlined, such as:  

  • West Hill 
  • Arbor Hill, 
  • North Albany 
  • The South End

With some inclusion in other areas of Albany that have been affected by blight, lack of resources, crime, and abandoned buildings, vacant lots, and high levels of poverty, such as: 

  • Beverwyck 
  • Mt. Hope 
  • Park South 
  • Sheridan Hollow
  • Delaware Avenue
  • Second Avenue

Urban Vegertable Garden

Mini-Grants

We will be awarding mini-grants of $500 – $1,500 dollars to organizations and neighborhood groups that: 

  • Are within Albany City limits, in the above neighborhoods
  • Will implement their proposed project by the end of October 2022 
  • Provide a detailed budget of expenses 
  • Demonstrate how the group or proposed idea will fight blight, reduce poverty, create more community connections, and provide necessary resources
  • Include proof of commitment to program goals with references from fellow community members

The ideal candidate or group will:

  • Be from one of the Love Your Block target neighborhoods
  • Be directly involved in community engagement efforts on the proposed project block
  • Have an awareness of issues affecting the proposed project block
  • Demonstrate a passion and dedication for fixing those issues

How to Apply

Our official application process will be announced soon.

Application Timeline

  • February 2022 (Exact date TBD): 2022 Love Your Block Applications open.
  • March 21, 2022 at 5 pm: Deadline to apply for 2022 Love Your Block program. 
  • Mid-April, 2022: Announcement of 2022 Love Your Block grantees.
  • October 2022: Implementation of program goals should be completed no later than October 2022 . 

Get Help Applying

Love Your Block staff are available to assist you in filling out your grant application.

  • Tabora Marcus - Love Your Block Fellow | Phone | Email Tabora
  • Erin Johanns - Love Your Block AmeriCorps VISTA | 518-434-5281 | Email Erin

Our office is located at the Albany Community Development Agency at 200 Henry Johnson Blvd, Albany, NY 12210. We do not accept drop-ins for Love Your Block application assistance, and appointments are necessary before speaking to one of our staff members in-person. Due to the high number of positive COVID cases within the City of Albany, all meetings will be held remotely over Zoom until further notice.

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Volunteers 

Love Your Block wants to empower citizens to take direct action to make changes in their community through our mini-grants program, directly voicing their concerns, and taking initiative to give back and volunteer. We are currently looking for potential volunteers for Love Your Block projects for the spring, summer, and fall months. Some of our initiatives for volunteers will include, but are not limited to, community-wide clean-ups, planting trees, painting, and handing out essential resources. If you are interested in volunteering on one or more days in your neighborhood, please contact our Love Your Block Fellow, Tabora Marcus, or our Love Your Block AmeriCorps VISTA, Erin Johanns. We will be posting the schedule for volunteer days and times in the coming months.

Love Your Block Albany Logo