Grants aims to help residents of all ages, especially older adults, improve how they live, move, and stay connected in their neighborhoods through innovative local projects

NEW YORK, June 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- AARP today announced 23 organizations throughout New York will receive 2026 Community Challenge grants. Marking the program's 10th anniversary, the grants are part of an $8.3 million commitment by AARP, doubling last year's total, to fund 750 quick-action projects nationwide aimed at making communities more livable for people of all ages, especially older adults. The funds will support improvements to public spaces, transportation, housing, digital connectivity, disaster preparedness, and other local priorities that help improve social connections and strengthen neighborhoods and towns of all sizes.

"Communities across New York are eager for solutions that boost mobility, connection, and quality of life," said AARP New York State Director Beth Finkel. "Thanks to Community Challenge grants, we're empowering residents to make a sizeable difference. This program helps local leaders turn practical ideas into action to create visible improvements to strengthen communities for all ages."

Since 2017, AARP has awarded nearly $1 million through 87 Community Challenge grants supporting projects across New York. Grant projects will be funded in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Projects across New York reflect growing demand for practical, local solutions that help residents stay connected, safe and independent, including:

Adirondacks/Capital Region

• Capital Streets, Watervliet: $15,000 for signage, paint and other traffic calming measures to address speeding and confusing crossings at a dangerous high-traffic roadway.
• City of Mechanicville: $15,000 to install ADA-compliant pedestrian signals and crossings between housing for older adults and a local grocery store. These changes will create a direct, safer walking route and reduce reliance on transit for short trips.
• Southern Saratoga YMCA: $2,500 to create educational sessions to teach residents how to make homes safer and more accessible.
• Town of Johnsburg: $2,500 for walk audits to align with town infrastructure and beautification projects; $15,000 to expand its HomeFit pilot into a continuing program that provides small home safety improvements for residents age 50-plus.
• Tupper Lake Public Library: $15,000 to transform its community room into a safer, more accessible, and inviting space for residents age 50-plus.

Central New York/Finger Lakes

• Access To Independence of Cortland County: $2,500 to conduct walk audits to examine connections between sidewalks and bus routes used by residents age 50 and older.
• Downtown Ithaca Alliance: $2,500 for walk audits to examine sidewalk and crossing conditions near Ithaca's downtown bus stations.
• Friends of Sandy Bottom Park, Honeoye: $11,100 to add benches along a popular park's walking trails and provide equipment for new pickleball courts.

Hudson Valley

• Finkelstein Library, Spring Valley: $12,000 to convert a van into a mobile library that visits older adults in local housing communities to provide books, media, internet access and programming.
• Town of Poughkeepsie: $15,000 to install safety features at a popular park, including a speed feedback sign, a flashing pedestrian sign and a clearly marked crosswalk.
• Village of Croton-on-Hudson: $15,000 to install a rapid-flashing pedestrian beacon on a street with many older residents.
• Village of Port Chester: $15,000 to improve downtown pedestrian safety by rebuilding sidewalks and curbs, adding accessible ramps and installing a crosswalk, lighting and a bench.

Long Island

• Hofstra University, Hempstead: $2,500 for campus-wide intergenerational walk audits to assess safety and access. The findings will produce recommendations that support older adults on campus.
• The Barry & Florence Friedberg Jewish Community Center, Oceanside: $15,000 to create an outdoor social space featuring seating, shade and reading areas.

New York City

• Center For Hope Services, Staten Island: $15,000 to install high-visibility crosswalks, turn-calming features and a clearly marked loading zone on a busy residential street.
• Good Old Lower East Side, Manhattan: $15,000 to conduct disaster preparedness workshops for residents of public housing developments.
• Jewish Association Serving the Aging Housing Management, Manhattan: $14,900 to transform an unused backyard at a housing site for older adults into an accessible outdoor space.
• Selfhelp Community Services, Queens: $2,500 to provide disaster preparedness training and leadership instruction to older adults from several buildings.
• Third Avenue Business Improvement District, Bronx: $15,000 to create street murals, install flex posts and wayfinding signage.
• The Hilas Foundation, New York City: $2,500 for preparedness trainings and support activities to help adults age 50 plus stay ready for emergencies.

Western New York

• Buffalo Niagara YMCA: $2,500 for educational seminars and home assessments to identify safety hazards for older adults. Participants will receive simple products that improve home stability.
• Create a Healthier Niagara Falls Collaborative: $2,500 to conduct walk audits near Niagara Falls State Park. Community meetings will connect residents and lawmakers to implement solutions.
• Downtown ROCs, Rochester: $12,000 to install ADA-compliant benches and clear transit wayfinding signage along a key transit corridor.

"America is aging, and most older adults want to stay in the communities they know and love. There are a lot of things that localities can do to support residents of all ages," said Nancy LeaMond, AARP, Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer.

"AARP Community Challenge grants help transform local ideas into real improvements— from safer sidewalks and improved transportation options to public spaces that bring neighbors together and enhance community connections. As we celebrate the program's 10th year, we're proud to double our investment so even more communities can become great places to live for people at all stages of life."

View the full list of grantees and their projects at aarp.org/communitychallenge. Learn more about AARP's work to support livable communities at aarp.org/livable.

About AARP

AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to the 125 million Americans 50-plus and their families: health and financial security, and personal fulfillment. AARP also works for individuals in the marketplace by sparking new solutions and allowing carefully chosen, high-quality products and services to carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the nation's largest-circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and the AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit aarp.org, aarp.org/espanol or follow @AARP, @AARPLatino and @AARPadvocates on social media.

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SOURCE AARP New York