Newark Launches Love Your Block Grant Program to Beautify Neighborhoods

The city's sustainability initiative empowers residents to enhance green spaces and build climate resilience.

Published on Feb. 17, 2026

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The city of Newark has launched the Love Your Block, Newark! 2026 program, a resident-driven initiative that provides grants of up to $5,000 to community groups for neighborhood beautification projects focused on sustainability and climate resilience. The program aims to empower Newarkers to build cleaner, greener, and more resilient neighborhoods through volunteer-powered solutions.

Why it matters

Newark is seeking to address local environmental challenges and strengthen community pride through this program. By investing directly in community-led projects, the city hopes to advance its citywide sustainability and resilience goals while fostering stronger neighborhood bonds.

The details

The Love Your Block, Newark! program will fund a variety of projects, such as converting vacant lots into community gardens, front yard landscaping, creating murals, and installing dog waste stations. The city is particularly interested in projects that enhance green spaces, increase tree canopy, address flooding and extreme heat, and support waste reduction.

  • The Love Your Block, Newark! 2026 program launched on Valentine's Day, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026.
  • The application period will remain open through Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
  • The project implementation period will run from May 6 through Sept. 2, 2026.
  • The 2027 Love Your Block, Newark! celebration event will be held on Feb. 11, 2027.

The players

Ras J. Baraka

The mayor of Newark who launched the Love Your Block, Newark! 2026 program.

Nicole Hewitt-Cabral

Newark's Chief Sustainability Officer who is overseeing the Love Your Block, Newark! program.

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What they’re saying

“By investing directly in community-driven projects, we are empowering Newarkers to build cleaner, greener and more resilient neighborhoods while strengthening the bonds that hold our city together.”

— Ras J. Baraka, Mayor (TAPinto.net)

“Love Your Block, Newark! is about turning local ideas into real, visible change. From climate resilience to neighborhood revitalization, this program helps residents take action on the issues that matter most to them while advancing our citywide sustainability and resilience goals.”

— Nicole Hewitt-Cabral, Chief Sustainability Officer (TAPinto.net)

What’s next

The 2026 Love Your Block, Newark! grantees will be announced on May 1, 2026.

The takeaway

Newark's Love Your Block program empowers residents to beautify their neighborhoods and build climate resilience, demonstrating the city's commitment to community-driven sustainability initiatives that strengthen local pride and address environmental challenges.