'Breaking The Cycle': New Supportive Housing Complex Opens In Harlem

HARLEM, NY — A new affordable housing development with supportive services for youth aging out of foster care has officially opened its doors in Harlem.

The New York Foundling, a nonprofit based in New York City, has opened its newest young adult supportive housing site at 126 West 126th Street. This initiative aims to establish a new model for assisting youth in transitioning out of foster care and the shelter system.

Among the residents of the new 17-story residential tower are 70 young people who are leaving foster care and the shelter system, moving into 51 supportive housing apartments, according to a spokesperson from the nonprofit.

"This is how we break the cycle of homelessness for these young people," said Melanie Hartzog, President and CEO of The New York Foundling. "Easily accessible and centrally located, this supportive housing project represents a new model that builds a bridge from foster care to independent living. I thank Governor Kathy Hochul and all of our incredible project partners for helping us bring this much needed project to the heart of Harlem."

The project adds 51 supportive apartments to the neighborhood, accommodating a total of 70 young people. It includes on-site services such as counseling, therapy, mentorship, and job training.

The development offers a variety of apartment types, including two-bedroom, one-bedroom, and studio units, with rents ranging from $666 to $1,478 depending on monthly income. Amenities at the building include a fitness center, laundry room, resident lounge, outdoor terrace and bike storage.

The new apartment building also features extensive on-site services designed to support residents' independence, including counseling, therapy, mentorship and job training.

The program boasts an impressive success rate: over the past four years, 95 percent of young people in The Foundling’s scatter-site supportive housing have successfully transitioned to living independently within two years, according to a spokesperson from the nonprofit.

This includes moving into market-rate or traditional income-restricted homes for which they qualify.

"Supportive housing is essential for promoting the health and well-being of young adults transitioning out of foster care as they work toward independence," Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Barbara C. Guinn said.

The new housing is part of a major mixed-use development project known as the Urban Empowerment Center on Harlem’s 125th Street.

This project will include offices for One Hundred Black Men of New York, the Studio Museum in Harlem, the United Negro College Fund and Virginia Union University.

It will also feature retail spaces, including a Target and a Trader Joe’s, officials said.

“As a youth in foster care, you never know where you’ll end up or how you’ll end up," said Venessa Riley, a resident of The New York Foundling’s Harlem supportive housing program. "But now, with support from The New York Foundling and New York State, I have a safe space to lay my head – and in the heart of Harlem where you walk outside and are instantly inspired. I’m grateful for this wonderful opportunity. I plan to make the most of it."

Each year in New York City, approximately 1,000 young adults aged 18 to 26 age out of foster care, The New York Foundling said.

Many of these young adults are at a heightened risk of homelessness and confront difficulties in finding stable housing, securing employment, finishing their education, and building a support network, officials said.

Residents of supportive housing projects, like the Urban Empowerment Center, receive affordable, fully furnished apartments and are paired with staff from The Foundling who assist them in achieving financial stability and academic success.

Since opening, over 500 applications have been processed for the 51 apartments in this development, underscoring the immense need for these homes, a spokesperson from the nonprofit said.

“This housing will change lives – that’s not an overstatement. Youth aging out of foster care are some of the most vulnerable New Yorkers and connecting them to a safe place to live with wraparound services is the first step to a stable future,” said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine.

In addition to the new Harlem development and with support from New York State, The Foundling currently runs three supportive housing programs in Brooklyn. This includes two scatter-site programs across 20 buildings, serving 40 young people through 33 apartment units.

"We can now celebrate these well-deserving individuals who have earned this opportunity after waiting in some instances years to enjoy their own safe, stable environment that they can call their own," said New York State Assembly Member Inez E. Dickens. "This will afford them the sense of independence and security they have long awaited. Everyone is deserving of quality, affordable housing."