Strengthen individuals, families and communities by developing and sustaining exceptional supportive and affordable housing as well as programs for homeless and other vulnerable New Yorkers.
Why is it important?
Breaking Ground is a New York City based nonprofit that aims to address homelessness by developing and operating supportive and affordable housing, and by providing outreach and wrap-around services to vulnerable New Yorkers. Their mission rests on the principle that stable housing is foundational to improving outcomes for people facing mental illness, addiction, trauma, or chronic poverty and once someone has a safe place to live, it can help them rebuild health, income, and community ties. Since its founding in 1990 as the Times Square House, Breaking Ground has reached thousands through street outreach, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing. One of their signature programs is Street to Home, in which outreach teams identify and prioritize people who have been living outdoors the longest or are at highest risk, engage them, assess their eligibility, and help move them into housing. In their permanent housing developments (often built via historic restorations, new construction, or conversions), on-site services such as case management, health and mental health care, job readiness, benefit counseling, and life-skills support are provided to help residents stabilize and maintain housing. Breaking Ground is important because supportive housing often reduces reliance on costly crisis systems (emergency rooms, shelters, inpatient treatment) while improving quality of life and stability. However, helping people overcome homelessness and acquire permanent housing involves real challenges.
Many individuals experiencing chronic homelessness face complex, overlapping barriers, severe mental illness, substance use, physical health problems, trauma, criminal justice involvement, and weak or non-existent social support. Even when eligible for housing, navigating the bureaucracy of subsidies, documentation, and screening can be daunting. There are often long waitlists, limited housing stock, funding shortages, and neighborhood resistance (i.e. NIMBY). Furthermore, tenants need sufficient income or benefits to pay rent and sustain themselves, which can be constrained by unemployment, disability, or lack of vocational options. Maintaining housing also requires adherence to lease terms, managing ongoing health or behavioral needs, and avoiding relapse or destabilization. When permanent supportive housing is successfully attained and retained, the benefits are substantial. For example, tenants gain stability, safety, dignity, privacy, and a base from which to address health, employment, relationships, and recovery goals. The community as a whole benefits, too, costs of public systems go down, neighborhood health improves, and social equity advances. In short, Breaking Ground plays a critical role in shifting from emergency responses to long-term solutions for homelessness in NYC, even as it navigates funding, regulatory, and human challenges in doing so. Today, Breaking Ground operates nearly 4,500 units of permanent housing across New York City. Supportive housing, affordable housing paired with wraparound services designed
