Urban Pathways

OVER 40 YEARS OF HELPING NEW YORKERS 1975 A group of neighborhood settlement houses, concerned at the growing numbers of mentally ill men and women living on the streets in midtown Manhattan, began conducting outreach and providing service referrals as the Westside Cluster of Centers and Settlements. 1980s Established the Antonio G. Olivieri Drop-In Center for Women, the first center in the country to provide services tailored for homeless women. Opened the Travelers Hotel, a transitional housing facility for men and women in Manhattan. The Open Door, a second drop-in center, began providing services to the homeless who congregated near the Port Authority Bus Terminal. The Westside Cluster House opened to provide housing and services to 48 formerly homeless women. This residence was completely renovated in 2014 and re-opened as supportive housing for 52 men and women. 1990s The organizational name is changed to Urban Pathways in 1991, to reflect the expanded scope of services city-wide. The Ivan Shapiro House, named in honor of a former Board Member, opened in 1997 to provide housing and services to 55 men and women who were homeless and diagnosed with mental illness. The Assessment, Diagnosis and Engagement (ADE) Outreach Program began in 1997, providing outreach services in midtown Manhattan through 2016. Operation Alternative began to provide outreach services in the Port Authority Bus Terminal in 1997. This program continued until 2008 and was re-funded in 2014. In 1997, Urban Pathways began offering job-readiness and job-placement assistance to clients. Through the years, this program would be known as ESTEEM and UPwards. 2000s Urban Pathways’ successful approach to engaging street homeless adults resulted in the launch of outreach programs at Penn Station and PATH stations in New York City in 2000. Outreach services were expanded by partnering with local Business Improvement Districts with the addition of the Flatiron BID Outreach Program (2009), the Fashion District BID Outreach Program (2010). The Newark Liberty International Airport Outreach Program began operations in 2012. In 2007, the Travelers Hotel became the Travelers Safe Haven, to more accurately describe the mission of the facility in helping to combat homelessness. A second facility, the Hegeman Safe Haven, opened in Brooklyn in 2009 to house 55 men and women who were taking their first steps in leaving the cycle of homelessness. The new millennium saw the introduction of scatter-site housing. Urban Pathways added housing for 153 men and women through several programs. Scatter-site housing has been shown to be effective for men and women with mental illness and/or substance use disorders who are able to live in a less-supervised environment. Urban Pathways’ portfolio of supportive housing residences continued to grow with the construction and opening of Hughes House (55 units) and The Residence at Hallet’s Cove (50 units) in 2012, and the 53rd Street Apartments (13 units) in 2013. The Clinton Avenue Residence (55 units) opened in 2014 making it the first Urban Pathways residence which provides housing to low-income community members as well as formerly-homeless men and women. Urban Pathways assumed operational responsibility for Crotona Community Residence in 2012. 2015 Urban Pathways celebrated 40 years of helping New Yorkers find their way home at its Annual Benefit to End Homelessness on May 14. Capacity of the Travelers Safe Haven was increased by opening the Travelers Annex to provide housing to 19 men and women who formerly lived on the streets. Opened the Boston Road Apartments to house 30 formerly-homeless men and women and 13 low-income residents from the community. 2016 Opened the Fairmount Residence to house 23 formerly-homeless veterans. Began leasing apartments to 30 men and women with histories of incarceration under the JISH (Justice-Involved Supportive Housing) Initiative. With funding from the NYC 15/15 housing initiative, began leasing apartments to house 45 men and women throughout the City. To improve the overall health of its residents, and to reduce reliance on emergency services, Urban Pathways began offering a Medical Wellness Program at Hughes House in the Bronx. This successful program is now being implemented at other Urban Pathways’ supportive-housing residences. 2017 Opened the 162nd Street Residence in the Bronx, with housing for 55 formerly-homeless adults and 31 low-income seniors. Opened the 105th Street Safe Haven in East Harlem— Urban Pathways’ third transitional housing residence for 33 homeless adults. 2018 The Howard Amron House opens, providing permanent housing for 11 formerly-homeless men and women, and honoring the memory of Howard Amron, a former Board Member.