Newburgh offers mini grants for neighborhood cleanup and beautification projects

Newburgh is once again putting money behind the kind of block-by-block cleanup that can change how a street feels in a single weekend. The city posted its 2026 Love Your Block mini-grants on May 1, opening a round of funding that can pay for carting and dumpster fees, cleaning supplies, and food and entertainment for block-party-style beautification events.

The grants are aimed at community and faith-based organizations, tenant associations, and block associations, giving neighborhood groups a way to tackle trash, overgrowth, and tired-looking corners without having to absorb the full cost themselves. City officials said all activities and events require a City of Newburgh event permit, and the grants are being awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. That means the fastest-moving groups are the ones most likely to land support.

Mayor Torrance Harvey framed the program as more than a cleanup fund. He said Love Your Block is about “pride, partnership, and people taking ownership of the places they call home.” Harvey added that when neighbors clean, care for, and celebrate their blocks together, they build bonds, brighten neighborhoods, and bring community spirit to life.

For residents watching the city from the ground level, the appeal is obvious. A small grant can cover the practical costs that often stop a volunteer effort before it starts: the dumpster, the hauling, the gloves, the bags, the supplies for planting or painting, and food that turns a workday into a block event. Those dollars do not build a new park or repave a street, but they can clear a lot, freshen a corner, and get neighbors talking face to face.

The program is also part of a larger state-backed anti-blight push. Newburgh said the mini-grants are a collaboration with New York State Attorney General Letitia James’ Cities RISE grant program. James announced more than $8 million in Cities RISE awards in January 2020 as part of the broader effort to support neighborhood revitalization and help cities address housing challenges.

Newburgh’s Love Your Block effort has become a recurring fixture rather than a one-time pilot, with city announcements in 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026. City Manager Todd Venning called it an “incredibly popular” mini-grant program in the 2025 rollout, a sign that local organizations keep coming back for it. The real test is visible on the blocks themselves: whether the next cleanup leaves behind cleaner sidewalks, tighter-knit blocks, and fewer signs of neglect.