Breaking Ground

Congrats to this great team of Breaking Grounders on your presentation today at , National Health Care for the Homeless Council’s annual conference and policy symposium!

The presentation – Cluster Care: Providing Support to High-Needs Clients in Transitional Housing – detailed our efforts to assist people who need extra support with activities of daily living but do not qualify for specialized programs, such as medical respite. After a successful pilot program at The Andrews, we’re expanding enrollment across additional safe havens soon.

Stay tuned for a recap on our News page!

The presentation team:
Erin Madden, VP of Programs
John Betts, AVP, Program Development and Innovation
Kevin Hines, ADL Team Lead, Cluster Care Program

Live in the heart of New York City. Our Times Square residence is actively seeking applicants to replenish the waiting list for affordable, income-qualified studio apartments. Rents range from $500 to $825 per month. Each unit is an efficiency studio with ensuite bathroom and micro-kitchenette. Building amenities include a rooftop terrace with gardens, original restored lobby, bicycle storage, fitness room, and more. See details and download an application at:

https://breakingground.org/our-housing/the-times-square

Join the Breaking Ground Junior Board on Wednesday, May 22nd at the Prince George Ballroom for their annual Serving Up Home benefit! Enjoy creative bites and sips, and a fabulous slient auction with premium items and experiences, to raise funds for Breaking Ground's Drop-In Center serving homeless New Yorkers.

Tickets and sponsorships are still available at
https://breakingground.org/news-events/event/serving-up-home-2024

Special thanks to our generous Title Sponsors:
Alvarez & Marsal
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Core Scaffold Systems Inc
The Harry & Jesse Forever Fund
Prime Structure
Room & Board
Urban Atelier Group

Looking good in Queens!

Check out the progress at Sutphin Senior Housing & Clinic. We're above ground and making great strides in building this 173-unit, all-electric, Passive House development at Sutphin Boulevard and 97th Ave in downtown Jamaica, our first supportive residence in Queens. We look forward to celebrating its topping off later this year.

Sutphin is part of more than 2,000 new permanent housing units we plan to create by 2030.

One Health clinics that treat pets, people together catch on Integrated model serving vulnerable populations now followed in at least four states

To stabilize health, you must stabilize housing. Access to quality, affordable housing is essential for a healthy life.

Homeless individuals are often caught in a vicious cycle: unmet physical and mental health needs have contributed to becoming homeless, and while homeless, these individuals cannot access the critical services required to address these unmet needs. They remain homeless.

We aim to help end this vicious cycle by supporting innovative approaches that streamline access to housing and to essential health supports, for homeless individuals and families.

We’ve granted $1.7M to Breaking Ground to help 650 homeless individuals enter supportive housing more quickly. “Accelerated placements means fewer days of homelessness and increased days of improved health for more New Yorkers. And the cost to house people is less than the cost to remain homeless,” New York City Program Officer Tracy Perrizo said.

Our support for Breaking Ground is one of Helmsley's grants that aim to improve health by accelerating housing. Learn more here: https://helmsleytrust.org/news-and-insights/helmsley-announces-housing-for-health-initiative-for-new-yorkers-with-complex-health-and-social-needs/

Breaking Ground is excited to partner with Wollman Rink NYC to bring warmth and coats to New Yorkers in need this winter.

Tomorrow through Sunday (1/26-1/28), when you bring a new or gently used coat to Wollman Rink NYC, you will receive the WRAP package: $15 admission and skate rental along with a complimentary hot chocolate. All coats donated must be new or gently used; clean and ready to wear; and free from rips, tears, or stains.

Bring your coat to the box office when you arrive at Wollman Rink NYC to exchange for your ticket. Tickets cannot be purchased online.

Learn more at https://bit.ly/bgcoats

All coats donated will be distributed to our clients experiencing homelessness.

We're so grateful to be a part of The Helmsley Charitable Trust's Housing for Health initiative. Learn more about how these key investments will help vulnerable New Yorkers get and stay housed.

“…however much America strays away from the ideals of justice, the goal of America is freedom. Abused and scorned though we may be, our destiny is tied up in the destiny of America. Before the Pilgrim fathers landed at Plymouth, we were here. Before Jefferson etched across the pages of history the majestic words of the Declaration of Independence, we were here. Before the beautiful words of the Star Spangled Banner were written, we were here. For more than two centuries, our forebears labored here without wages. They made cotton kings. They built the homes of their masters, in the midst of the most humiliating and oppressive conditions. Yet out of a bottomless vitality, they continued to grow and develop.”

- April 14, 1967 - “The Other America” - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Congratulations to our President & CEO, Brenda Rosen, on being named a Nonprofit Power Player by amny and PoliticsNY!

And thanks to all of the amazing nonprofit leaders at the forefront of social change, tackling the most pressing issues that New York faces and committed to helping the most vulnerable New Yorkers thrive.

https://politicsny.com/power-lists/nonprofit-power-players/page/8/ -rosen

Wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Breaking Ground!

We are especially grateful for the Junior Board, whose efforts ensured that thousands of tenants across our housing sites in New York City had a festive meal with all the fixings and were served in style.

And a huge thanks to the following teams who volunteered to serve Thanksgiving dinner across our residences:
Breaking Ground Junior Board
Annaly Capital Management
Capital One
Gotham Organization
Kohler Ronan
Mizuho Americas
Starbucks
Travelers
Turner Construction
Wells Fargo

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“Getting a project like 90 Sands done...requires grit, a sense of urgency, and a relentless focus on helping people come indoors, off the streets to an apartment where they can rebuild their lives with dignity." - Breaking Ground President & CEO, Brenda Rosen, on our gratitude to work with the team at JPMorgan Chase to get important things done right.

A Responsible Approach to Permanent Supportive Housing The need has never been greater to embrace a homelessness solution that works.

Happy Veterans Day to all the brave women and men who served our country. Huge thanks to this great team from Neuberger Berman - many Veterans themselves - for making it an extra special day for our Veteran tenants at the Times Square. And a salute to our friends at Bravo Sierra who provided gifts for Veterans across our housing and program locations in NYC.

This morning we celebrated the groundbreaking for Sutphin Senior Residence and Clinic in Downtown Jamaica. This project will create 173 supportive and affordable apartments for older adult New Yorkers who have experienced or are at risk of homelessness, and a state-of-the-art 15,000 sq ft Federally Qualified Health Center that will serve tenants and the community by our partners . It’s Breaking Ground’s first permanent housing in Queens, and will be our second Passive House-certified project.

Huge thanks to:
NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards
METRO IAF NY and Queens Power
New York State Homes & Community Renewal
New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance
NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD)

Capital One
Corporation for Supportive Housing

We’ll see everyone at the ribbon cutting in 2025!

Last week, this amazing team from Wells Fargo packed hundreds of Welcome Home grocery kits for our tenants at 90 Sands. A huge thank you to Wells Fargo for helping to tackle food insecurity among the people we serve, and for the show of support from Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon, Council Member Lincoln Restler, and Brooklyn's Deputy Borough President Kim Council! We are so grateful for your partnership at 90 Sands and across New York City.

As a companion to her piece for The New Yorker, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Jennifer Egan speaks with David Remnick about homelessness and supportive housing in NYC.

Jennifer Egan on a Solution for the Chronically Homeless | The New Yorker Radio Hour | WNYC Studios Egan spent a year chronicling a new supportive-housing building in New York. This kind of facility works to end homelessness. What would be needed to scale it up nationwide?

Over the past year, author and journalist Jennifer Egan followed people as they exited homelessness, signed leases, and moved into permanent apartments with onsite support at our 90 Sands residence in Brooklyn. Her piece for The New Yorker offers a striking view of the challenges people experiencing homelessness face, and what is possible with permanent housing.

It’s also an unflinching and unvarnished look at the work of street outreach, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing to help people get and remain housed. And it’s a sobering tale of the ravages of the opioid crisis.

What emerges from the portraits of people who call 90 Sands home is that permanent supportive housing – as we and our partners at the Center for Urban Community Services have spent more than three decades proving – is our best hope for ending chronic homelessness.

Across our housing portfolio, which includes nearly two dozen buildings and more than 4,500 units of housing in New York City, over 98% of people who enter a supportive apartment from homelessness remain housed 12 months later. The vast majority permanently escape homelessness. Jennifer Egan’s piece demonstrates just how extraordinary it is to have that measure of stability.

A Journey from Homelessness to a Room of One’s Own At a supportive-housing facility, chronically unhoused New Yorkers get a new lease on life, with a gym, a computer room—and on-site mental-health and medical services.

Are you ready to make a difference for NYC? Join us Tuesday, Sept 19th from 10am-3:30pm, to explore job opportunities that align with your passions and skills. 🤝

Whether you're a recent graduate, someone looking to transition into the non-profit field, or someone already in the field, this hiring event will have something for you. See you there!

See full details here: https://rb.gy/wkisw

Breaking Ground's 2023 Hiring Events are made possible by generous philanthropic support from Macy's.

The New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS) has declared “Code Red” in anticipation of dangerous heat indices. Code Red is in effect from 11am today.

During “Code Red,” Breaking Ground steps up street canvassing efforts, including safety checks for vulnerable street homeless clients, along with facilitating access to cooling centers and water.

Rising temperatures can be dangerous for everyone, but access to cooling spaces can be difficult for people who are unsheltered. If you see someone at risk, call 311 to access resources, including directions to the nearest cooling center. Thank you for looking out for people on the streets.

Find a cooling center near you: https://finder.nyc.gov/coolingcenters/

Happy Juneteenth! Celebrate Freedom Day all month long with the National Museum of African American History and Culture, where you can explore the history, sounds, and tastes of Juneteenth:

https://nmaahc.si.edu/juneteenth

Pride month celebrates and promotes self-affirmation, dignity, and equal rights no matter how you identify. 🌈🎉 Let's continue to build a world where everyone is free to be who they are, express their love, and have access to a safe and supportive community. 🏳️‍🌈❤️

On Memorial Day, we pause to commemorate all who gave that last full measure of devotion that we might enjoy and participate in a free and open society.

Last week, this amazing team from JPMorgan Chase & Co. assembled and distributed 832 grocery packs – two bags of pantry staples for every tenant at our Prince George residence. In the wake of reduced SNAP benefits and inflation, thank you for helping our vulnerable residents with this vital food security effort.

Join our Junior Board for a night of fun at Serving Up Home 2023! Get your tickets before it's sold out: https://breakingground.org/news-events/event/serving-up-home-2023/

May 23rd
6:30-9:30pm
At the historic Prince George Ballroom

Thank you to everyone who braved the rain and came to our job fair this past Tuesday! 🗓 We hope that you found connecting with our recruiters and hiring managers to be a valuable experience, and that it provided you with insights into the different ways you can work with Breaking Ground. 🤝

Special thanks to our human resources team who organized the fair. Your passion for helping people is truly admirable, and we are honored to showcase the work that you do.

Come and join us for our job fair in Flatiron, Manhattan from 11am to 3pm at the Prince George Ballroom! This is a great opportunity for you to take the first step towards a fulfilling career while giving back to the people of this city. For those attending, we are excited to meet you soon✨

See what positions we are hiring for, and full event details here ➡️ https://breakingground.org/news-events/event/join-us-for-a-job-fair/

Are you ready to become a part of something larger than yourself? Join us tomorrow at 11am-3pm, come connect with like-minded individuals, and explore job openings that align with your passions and skills. 🤝

Whether you're a recent graduate, someone looking to transition into the non-profit field, or someone already in the field, this job fair will have something for you. See you there!😊

See full details here: https://breakingground.org/news-events/event/join-us-for-a-job-fair/

Save the date! 💼🗓 Tuesday, May 2nd 11am-3pm