Community Gardens at Risk: Advocates Call for Restored Funding Amid Budget Cuts

City officials and community advocates engaged in a pivotal discussion during the New York City Parks and Recreation Committee’s budget hearing for the fiscal year 2026, held on March 20, 2025. The hearing’s primary focus was whether funding for community gardens would see a restoration in the upcoming budget, following significant cuts in previous years.

Advocates argued that community gardens play a crucial role in community well-being, emphasizing their importance as spaces for food production and social gathering. Testimonies highlighted the detrimental impacts of past budget cuts, including program suspensions that impeded composting efforts and garden maintenance. Michael Davis, a community gardener from East Harlem, pointed out that the impacts of these cuts had led to risks of displacement for green spaces across the city, underscoring the important non-profit nature of community gardens. Communities, he argued, would benefit should financial support return, allowing for more productive and engaging environments in urban neighborhoods (Source: https://youtu.be/ICHrCRRTmeU&t=11924).

Further testimony highlighted the need for substantial funding to restore nearly 800 critical positions within the Parks Department, which have been lost to budget reductions and attrition. Advocates called for $79.8 million in the fiscal year 2026 to support the Parks workforce and essential programs. They described parks as vital infrastructure crucial to the safety and quality of life in communities citywide (Source: https://youtu.be/ICHrCRRTmeU&t=10580).

Several speakers specifically addressed the Green Thumb program, which supports community gardens across the city. They expressed hope that the council might restore the necessary funding to sustain staff positions and maintain the gardens. The current budget proposal includes $350,000 to restore certain community garden initiatives, yet advocates stress that this is still inadequate given the growing needs of green spaces in the city (Source: https://youtu.be/ICHrCRRTmeU&t=6602).

Concerns regarding the management of parks and potential financial mismanagement within contracting were also raised. Testimonies from various organizations indicated a need for greater oversight and accountability to ensure that public space management operates transparently and effectively. Advocates emphasized the link between well-funded parks and community health, urging the council to prioritize investments in public spaces (Source: https://youtu.be/ICHrCRRTmeU&t=5876).

In closing, the hearing illuminated the collective call for a budget that prioritizes not just restoration but a comprehensive growth strategy for community gardens and parks. The conversations reaffirmed a crucial connection between community advocacy, green space accessibility, and the overall vitality of neighborhoods throughout New York City.