The Holland Hotel has seen many incarnations since it was built in 1918. Initially an elegant residence, it had deteriorated by the 80s into a seedy Single-Room-Occupancy hotel that the city leased from a slumlord to house homeless families.

In the late 80s and early 1990s, however, the city began working with nonprofits to turn these buildings into a new type of housing designed to help the most vulnerable poor people - those who in addition to homelessness struggled with mental illness, addiction or chronic illnesses - rebuild their lives. These buildings - called supportive housing - combined studio social work support. Project Renewal became one of the early pioneers of this new housing and in 1995 completely renovated the Holland, turning it into safe and attractive supportive housing for 307 men and women. Tenants of the Holland are either formerly homeless or have a very low-income. Some are living with a mental illness or living with HIV/AIDS.

The award-winning project has proven a success for both tenants and the community. Tenants stabilize and don't return to homelessness (86% have remained housed for at least a year). In 2010, Holland House was renamed Geffner House to honor Ed Geffner’s extraordinary service and leadership over 33 years as head of Project Renewal. 

Project Renewal's affordable/supportive housing complex is the St. Nicholas House in Harlem, providing housing and support services to 94 formerly homeless and very-low income residents. The building opened in 2004 and features on-site recreational services, comprehensive support, medical and employment services. As with all our residences, we are intent on being good neighbors to the surrounding community. Representative Charles Rangel praised the project as "another shining example of what can be accomplished when a diverse cross section of the community comes together to implement initiatives that will combat the critical housing shortage in New York."

See what the Amsterdam News had to say about St. Nicholas Residence

"One day the Director of Project Renewal’s In Homes Now came in.  The concept just made so much sense…The first two years…I struggled with my sobriety.  The beautiful thing is I wasn’t kicked into the street. They were always there to support me and give me alternatives. " more...

In 2003, Project Renewal was awarded one of only eleven grants nationwide to create an innovative new program for chronically homeless people. In Homes Now provides New Yorkers living on the street or who have spent more than two of the past four years in city shelters, with their own apartments and provides comprehensive health, support, addiction and employment services to clients where the live. This 'housing first' approach is aimed at helping the hardest-to-reach -- people who have been left behind by the current system. In Homes Now is part of the Collaborative Initiative to End Chronic Homelessness, a joint endeavor funded by the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Veterans Administration.

Often, individuals who have come back from homelessness or addiction just need a safe, affordable place to live and some ongoing support to complete their recovery. So Project Renewal created its Lease on Life program, whereby formerly homeless or addicted men and women can move into an apartment we've leased and have access to whatever recovery, employment or life support they may need as they readjust to living in the community.

In 1990, the City and State signed the landmark New York/New York Agreement, to create community housing-plus-supports for homeless mentally ill New Yorkers. One of the very first community settings to be funded was Project Renewal's Clinton Residence on West 48th Street in Manhattan. The Residence provides housing and round-the-clock comprehensive supports to its 57 tenants, many of whom have spent much of their adult years in psychiatric institutions.

Initially, the Clinton Residence was imagined as residents' permanent home, because the severity of their illnesses suggested they would never live any more independently.But we found that by offering clients closely coordinated comprehensive services including psychiatric and medical care, case management and employment assistance many of the residents could indeed achieve goals they, and the medical community, never thought possible. With the appropriate opportunities, clients began establishing a network of family and friends, taking on more and more responsibility and even pursuing employment. As a result we changed the program to provide maximum support for peoples' achievable goals of moving on and moving out. We added a strong emphasis on employment, which has been extremely successful both in improving clients' self-esteem and their ability to live with greater independence. Clients can work with nearby Fountain House, an excellent nonprofit skilled in helping mentally ill people succeed; or they can work with our Job Links program, which helps individuals into competitive employment. As a result, since inception, 73% of the residents have moved into more independent housing and all continue to succeed in these new settings. And today, a full 75% of the residents are involved in some type of employment activity.

See what the New York Daily News wrote about the Clinton Residence

See what a New York Times Opinion piece said about the Clinton Residence

See what part the Clinton played in a feature article in The New York Times