History

We open the first voluntary medical detox for “public inebriates” on the Bowery as an alternative to jail or the hospital.

We open The Recovery Center, New York City’s first outpatient clinic for adults struggling with substance use.

We open Renewal House, the city’s first residential and work rehabilitation program for those experiencing homelessness and living with alcohol dependence.

The Jane Hotel, eventually a hot spot for nightlife and celebrities, is home to the city’s first supportive housing program for people in addiction recovery.

We launch Street Outreach teams of social workers who collaborate with police officers to provide services to individuals living on the street, a model that will inspire our revolutionary Support and Connection Center over 30 years later.

Our revolutionary MedVan, the first in our mobile fleet of healthcare on wheels, begins delivering professional healthcare services to adults where they are- on the street, in shelter, or at partner organizations. The mobile fleet is key to Project Renewal’s healthcare services, and has now expanded to four vehicles, which currently make over 20 visits a week.

We open Clinton Residence, one of the city’s first transitional housing programs. Transitional housing provides 1-2 years of supportive housing to individuals living with a mental health diagnosis or substance use disorder as they work toward living independently, and without supportive services.

New York City partners with Project Renewal to open the Third Street Men’s Shelter at 8 East Third Street for unhoused men with substance use disorder. This is the city’s first privately contracted shelter, and marks a key expansion in the services Project Renewal offers at our flagship location, in conjunction with TRC and other recovery programs.

Project Renewal purchased the Holland Hotel, a welfare hotel, from NYC, and fully transformed the building into permanent supportive housing. Holland House, now named Geffner House, provides housing for 307 formerly unhoused and low-income New Yorkers. It is a prime example of how underutilized or neglected buildings can be converted into strategically designed spaces to help solve the homelessness crisis in NYC.

We add Workforce Development as the third pillar of our program focus areas. Next Step, our full-service employment training and job placement program, and The Culinary Arts Training Program are added to Project Renewal’s comprehensive wraparound services, and continue to serve hundreds of clients each year.

We open Fort Washington Men’s Shelter, our first shelter focused on serving men living with mental illness. Located inside the Fort Washington Armory, this is also home to the only shelter-based dental clinic in NYC.

We launch our social purpose catering company, City Beet Kitchens (CBK). CBK is a direct pipeline for graduates from the Culinary Arts Training Program, and all revenue from CBK is funneled back into Project Renewal.

We open New Providence Women’s Shelter to support unhoused women living with substance use disorder and mental illness. In 2024 we began a full demolition of this building in order to rebuild as a combination of permanent supportive housing, shelter, and a street-facing clinic available to the public.

We open Kenton Hall, originally founded as the first shelter dedicated to supporting men on methadone maintenance treatment, it now focuses on a behavioral health model, and integrates psychiatry, occupational therapy, SUD treatment and case management.

We begin our Parole Support and Treatment Program, a national model for helping formerly incarcerated individuals reintegrate into the community by providing case management support, housing, and job training.

We open the first shelter-based dental clinic in our Fort Washington Men’s Shelter to provide comprehensive dental care to all who need it. Our New Providence Women’s Shelter and Housing, opening Fall 2026, will be home to the city’s second such facility

Providing a combined 147 units of housing, we open St. Nicholas House in Harlem and Leona Blanche House in the Bronx, both providing homes and support to formerly homeless adults living with mental health diagnoses.

We start one of the first formal occupational therapy (OT) programs based in-shelter with the goal of helping adults live with dignity and independence. OT will grow to become a cornerstone of Project Renewal’s programming, expanding across 20 programs and sites, serving as a hub of integration for staff, clients, and programs. Our formal internship program partnership with Columbia University serves as a nationally recognized pipeline for the field and many of our current OT staff are former interns!

Project Renewal’s Scan Van, the nation’s first mobile mammography clinic, joins the mobile healthcare fleet to provide free mammograms to uninsured women. The program would run for over 15 years, providing approximately 4,000 free mammograms a year, until closing due to financial challenges in 2023.

We open Fletcher Residence, one of the first eco-friendly transitional housing facilities, in the Bronx.

We open Ana’s Place, a state-of-the-art shelter serving 108 men living with mental illness.

We open the East Williamsburg Men’s Shelter, featuring a wide range of services—including occupational therapy—for homeless men over the age of 55 with a mental health diagnosis and/or substance use disorder. This shelter is located in a former youth hostel, and for a long time kept the fun and funky personality of this building.

We open Marsha’s House, the first shelter in New York City for LGBTQ+ young adults, ages 18 to 30. As an emergency, screened shelter, individuals come to Marsha’s House from all over the city. Services at Marsha’s House include case management, housing assistance, gender affirming care, and more.

We open the Support & Connection Center in East Harlem, which gives individuals experiencing a mental health crisis an alternative to jail or the emergency room when they are picked up by the police. The Center offers specially tailored care to these individuals, with the ultimate goal of rehabilitation and stability.

2022 was a landmark year for our real estate portfolio.

We opened Bedford Green House I in January, Project Renewal’s first LEED certified building, providing an additional 117 units of supportive and affordable housing in the Bronx. It features a remarkable rooftop greenhouse and aquaponics farming system that provides fresh herbs and vegetables to residents.

In February, we demolished an underused building to begin constructing a 200-bed women’s shelter on West 59th Street that will provide onsite health and social services.

October saw the groundbreaking for Bedford Green House Phase II, which will provide 116 affordable units and supportive services, featuring a primary care clinic open to the community, a fitness room, a landscaped backyard, and The Molly B. Kronick Library and Learning Center.

In December, we prepared to break ground on the Barbara Kleiman Men’s Shelter in Brooklyn, a 200-bed residence and part of the mix-use redevelopment at the old Greenpoint Hospital campus in East Williamsburg.