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Common Ground (NYC)
Encyclopedia
Common Ground is a nonprofit social services organization with the goal of creating high-quality permanent and transitional housing for the homeless. Their philosophy holds that supportive housing
costs substantially less than homeless shelters — and many times less than jail
cells or hospital rooms, and that people with psychiatric and other problems can better manage them once they are permanently housed and provided with services. Since its foundation in 1990 by Rosanne Haggerty
, the organization has created more than 2,000 units of housing for the homeless. "This is about creating a small town, rather than just a building," according to Haggerty. "It’s about a real mixed society, working with many different people."
Haggerty’s work was recognized in 2001 when she was selected as a MacArthur Fellow. The MacArthur Foundation
praised her work in salvaging historic buildings, renovating them through creative financing
from public and private sources and partnering with other social service organizations to give homeless and low-income residents more than just a roof over their heads. In selecting Haggerty for its prestigious award, the Foundation noted: "The success of these projects has called into question long-standing assumptions about low-income housing, such as the mix of populations that can live together harmoniously and the maximum efficient scale of such facilities."
, alcohol
or medical problems. Some of those involved in the issue of homelessness
consider Common Ground a pioneer in this approach in the United States.
However, the count, which has been adopted by the city for use in other areas, is not an end to itself, but a first step. According to Becky Kanis, the Director of Common Ground’s "Innovations Department",
The Street to Home initiative is a partnership of Common Ground and the Times Square
Alliance, and the strategy reduced homelessness by 87% over two years. It incorporates strategic targeting of individuals and intensive followup modeled on the successful approach used in the United Kingdom
’s Rough Sleepers Initiative
. The Rough Sleepers Initiative achieved a 75% reduction in street homelessness across England and prompted deeper investment in homelessness from Parliament
. In New York City, Street to Home has been adopted as a citywide strategy to reduce street homelessness by two-thirds within three years. Common Ground will direct all efforts on the streets of midtown Manhattan and throughout the boroughs of Brooklyn
and Queens
.
Common Ground's initial strategy was to deal with a 20-block neighborhood around Times Square
with one of the highest levels of homelessness in the city, focusing on securing housing for those who have been living on the street the longest and need housing the most. They replaced the random "first come, first served" approach with a targeted, strategic process: identify and prioritize the most vulnerable individuals on the street, assess and negotiate housing options with those individuals, then house and retain.
Identify and Prioritize
Street to Home partners with Business Improvement District
public safety officers or community outreach workers who – because they are on the front lines every day – have a thorough knowledge of the people continually living on their streets. They are trained by Common Ground in approaches to introduce clients to a housing team that will help them to secure housing. A simple tracking tool enables workers to differentiate between those who are consistently in the targeted area – called "anchors" – and those who are transients. The role of "anchor" individuals in street homelessness was identified in the Rough Sleepers Initiative, with subsequent targeting of those individuals yielding greater success – a tipping point – in engaging and moving individuals in the surrounding area. Common Ground developed a research-based Vulnerability Index to take the guesswork out of outreach and offer a rational system for prioritizing the most vulnerable homeless for housing.
Assess and Negotiate
Because most people who have lived on the streets for a long time are suffering from multiple disabilities and are usually eligible for some form of housing subsidy, Common Ground trains service providers in how to assess for eligibility for housing, services, and benefits, and provides tips on expediting this process. With the immediacy of the housing offer in hand for the individual, Street to Home uses techniques derived from Motivational Interviewing and Trauma Informed Care in working with clients to negotiate placement into housing. Street to Home assesses each individual’s eligibility for subsidized housing and income benefits and walks each person through the process of obtaining permanent housing- registering for disability or income support benefits, completing medical and psychiatric tests, and finding an apartment that fits the person’s needs.
House and Retain
Since the start of the Street to Home initiative, Common Ground has helped more than 175 adults – who had been homeless an average of 9.9 years – move from the streets directly into permanent housing, where more than 90% are able to maintain their housing. Most individuals who have lived on the streets for long periods do not wish to live in a shelter but want and are successful in their own homes, which begins their reintegration into society. Some clients of Street to Home have re-established relationships with family members. Many are working or have returned to school.
, Common Ground founder Rosanne Haggerty
looked into how that country addresses the housing needs of its poorest residents. She found in the city of Belfast
, the Foyer Program, a model long used in France
, Ireland
, and England
to help young people without family and at risk of homelessness make the transition to adulthood. Haggerty hoped the model might be useful in New York City
, where about 20 percent of homeless adults have a history of foster care
, and where, according to one city agency, some 3,700 young people will age out of foster care between 2002 and 2004.
Haggerty decided to replicate the Foyer Program in her next project – the renovation of an old YMCA
residence in Manhattan’s Chelsea
neighborhood, which set aside 40 of its 207 units for young adults ages 18 to 24 who are aging out of foster and residential care or are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The Chelsea Residence (The Christopher) provides employment, educational mentoring and life-skills training programs; participants work over an 18-month to two-year period toward permanent housing and stable employment. The $32 million project, which includes $9 million for acquisition, has received state, city and private financing.
Foyers are a way "to help people who aren’t ready to be on their own to develop the life skills, job skills and maturity to lead independent, successful lives," according to Sister Paulette LoMonaco, executive director of New York City’s Good Shepherd Services.
in Brooklyn
has the largest concentration of public housing in the U.S.. The average household income is $8,000, and one third of the population is unemployed. It is for these reasons that Common Ground created the Brownsville Partnership.
The partnership offers a range of family services including parenting classes, prenatal instruction for first-time mothers, a visiting nurse program and high-school equivalency classes to residents of the two census tracts with the highest crime and unemployment. A map of these so-called "million-dollar blocks" hangs in the Museum of Modern Art
.
The goal in Santa Monica is to house the 10 most vulnerable people as soon as possible. Once they are housed, efforts will be directed toward housing the next 10 most vulnerable people, going down the list as far as possible.
Los Angeles, California
In early December 2007, as part of Common Ground's Project 50, about two dozen Los Angeles County workers spent several nights walking Skid Row
at 4 a.m., waking people who slept on the streets to ask them who they were and how they were doing. The answers helped create a registry of Skid Row street residents; the county and the city now promise to use that data to put the 50 most vulnerable in permanent homes with the healthcare, drug treatment, mental health services and counseling they need.
Los Angeles took decades to become the nation's homeless capital, but Project 50 has moved swiftly since the time the program was launched in October 2007. The substantive phase of the project – housing the 50 – is carried out with apartments provided by the Skid Row Housing Trust with city assistance.Project 50 provides a template for county departments to coordinate effectively and provides a guide for the county to cooperate with city housing agencies.
Other Collaborations
As of March 2011 Common Ground has 12 buildings with 2,497 units.
This 15-story art deco building has a lobby with vaulted ceilings and a marble staircase. Fifteen years ago, the Times Square Hotel
was in a state of decay. Its ceilings were caving in, its halls were dark and dangerous, and its tenants were drug addicts, homeless families and elderly people with no place else to go.
A young college graduate named Rosanne Haggerty
became obsessed with saving the run-down hotel at the corner of Eighth Avenue and 43rd Street from the wrecker’s ball and convertinmg it into a home for street people, low-income workers and psychiatric survivors. Haggerty and other housing activists applied for every grant, tax credit and low-interest loan available, won the support of corporate and community leaders and sold Mayor David Dinkins
on their vision.
In 1994, the restored Times Square Hotel emerged from its scaffolding, and is today the home to 652 residents. Supportive social services are provided by the Center for Urban and Community Services.
For decades the Prince George Hotel, with its burnished wood, lavishly detailed ceilings and classical columns welcomed visitors to Edith Wharton
’s New York. But then the hotel declined, becoming one of New York’s notorious welfare hotels of The Bowery (Manhattan)
in the 1980s, when it housed about 1,600 people. The city closed it in 1989.
Today, the hotel on East 28th Street has reopened, combining aspects of both of its previous incarnations. It once again provides housing to the formerly homeless, but the number of residents is far less, and they are able to take advantage of supportive services right in the building. At the same time, the Prince George has been restored to its former glory in what now has become one of Manhattan
’s official historic districts, Madison Square North
, with particular attention to its once-again elegant ballroom, a grand gathering place. Supportive social services are provided by the Center for Urban and Community Services.
/AIDS
to work on the renovation. Students at the Parsons School designed and built an entry foyer and gallery space in what had been the Hunt Room. Faced with an area that was beyond restoration, the students developed an airy, modern space that is now the World Monuments Fund
Gallery, which serves as a special exhibition and events space.
In 2000, the YMCA
sold its second building for $9 million to Common Ground Community of Manhattan. The building, which is entered through 202 West 24th Street, once housed the Y’s transient residences. In July 2000 the group began a $23 million transformation of the 24th Street building into 207 residences for homeless people and low-income single adults - those earning up to $32,640 a year - as well as teenagers at risk of becoming homeless. Supportive social services are provided by the Center for Urban and Community Services.
Common Ground Community purchased The Andrews, a dingy century-old building, in 2002 for $2.5 million. The removation added three floors to accommodate 136 residential units and allow for a medical team to be housed on the premises. Transient male lodgers, once derided as “Bowery bums,” are charged $36 a week.
Common Ground renovated the property at 410 Asylum, known as The Capitol Building, and created 70 mixed-income apartments there, along with space for street-level retail businesses. The rehabilitation of the Hollander Foundation Center incorporates sustainable design elements that enhance energy efficiency and reduce the building’s carbon footprint. Green elements include a high-efficiency heating system, low-flow fixtures, an energy-efficient lighting plan, EnergyStar appliances and plans for a green roof. Common Ground now incorporates green in all of its projects in Connecticut and New York.
NEF provided funding for the project through Common Ground’s allocation of low-income housing tax credits and historic tax credits, both stemming from federal programs designed to encourage private-sector investment in affordable housing.
The upper floors of the former office building were converted into 70 affordable mixed-income apartments. The street level storefronts, comprising 13000 square feet (1,207.7 m²) were also restored. About 80 percent of the apartments at the center are rented to those with incomes below 60 percent of the area’s median income. Rents start at $765 per month. The remaining two-bedroom units will be rented at market rate, $1,400 per month.
Construction was completed in the summer of 2009.
In 2007, the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (“HPD”), in cooperation with Common Ground began construction on a $59 million, 99000 square feet (9,197.4 m²) supportive housing complex at 133 Pitt Street on the Lower East Side that will be Manhattan’s first such LEED
Silver development. Designed by Kiss + Cathcart Architects (Brooklyn Health House, Stillwell Avenue Subway Terminal), The Lee, named after one of the project’s major financiers, will offer affordable housing and on-site social services for 263 residents. 104 units are reserved for the homeless, 105 are for low-income residents, and 54 units are for young adults that are at high risk for homelessness. Green design features include an efficient condensing boiler, a green roof, efficient water fixtures, high-performance lighting, and low-irrigation landscaping. HPD and Common Ground expect a minimum of twenty percent savings in utility expenses.
Renovation of a vacant hospital building on the Montrose campus began Nov. 27, the result of a partnership between the VA and Common Ground. By Fall 2008, the first phase of the project was completed accommodating 96 veterans.
The $700,000 renovation included asbestos removal, electrical and plumbing upgrades, a new fire-alarm system and architectural changes to create individual rooms and common rooms in the post-World War II-era building. Most residents are referred by the Montrose VA
’s Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans Program after a four-month rehabilitation program there. Others come from shelters and streets in New York City and Westchester County as well as veterans returning from the wars in Iraq
and Afghanistan
who are facing imminent homelessness.
During their nine- to 12-month stays, veterans also receive support to find employment, manage their physical and mental health conditions, reconnect with family, and later move into their own apartment.
This eleven-story, 217-unit apartment building in Brooklyn’s Boerum Hill neighborhood was completed in 2008. Units are for households earning under 60% of the area’s median income, and half are reserved for the homeless or people with special needs. Schermerhorn House is surrounded by luxury condominiums and townhouses, so developers Common Ground and the Actors Fund knew good design was vital to winning local support. They interviewed top architects, and in a sign of growing interest in affordable housing, nearly all of them expressed interest. “I was even worried if they were going to take my call,” says Nadine Maleh, Common Ground’s director of design and construction. The developers chose Polshek Partnership, a New York firm known for high-profile projects such as the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Arkansas
, and the new planetarium building in New York’s Museum of Natural History
. Polshek’s design — which has a glass façade and a rooftop garden — is meant to fit in with the surrounding buildings. But the glass wall isn’t just for looks: Due to site restrictions, part of the project had to be built atop a subway tunnel, a complex engineering challenge. Instead of making the north wall out of heavy masonry, the architects used textured glass, which is lighter and allowed for less costly support trusses. “Constraints can be challenging, but they can provide opportunity,” says Polshek principal Susan Rodriguez. Polshek, like many prominent firms working in this field, charged a reduced fee.
Supportive social services are provided by the Center for Urban and Community Services and The Actors Fund.
:
As an organization, Common Ground received these awards:
Supportive housing
Supportive housing is a combination of housing and services intended as a cost-effective way to help people live more stable, productive lives...
costs substantially less than homeless shelters — and many times less than jail
Jail
A jail is a short-term detention facility in the United States and Canada.Jail may also refer to:In entertainment:*Jail , a 1966 Malayalam movie*Jail , a 2009 Bollywood movie...
cells or hospital rooms, and that people with psychiatric and other problems can better manage them once they are permanently housed and provided with services. Since its foundation in 1990 by Rosanne Haggerty
Rosanne Haggerty
Rosanne Haggerty is an American housing and community development leader, and founder of Common Ground Community.She graduated from Amherst College, in 1982.She studied at Columbia University.She was an Adelaide Thinker in Residence....
, the organization has created more than 2,000 units of housing for the homeless. "This is about creating a small town, rather than just a building," according to Haggerty. "It’s about a real mixed society, working with many different people."
Haggerty’s work was recognized in 2001 when she was selected as a MacArthur Fellow. The MacArthur Foundation
MacArthur Foundation
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in the United States. Based in Chicago but supporting non-profit organizations that work in 60 countries, MacArthur has awarded more than US$4 billion since its inception in 1978...
praised her work in salvaging historic buildings, renovating them through creative financing
Creative financing
Creative financing is a term used widely amongst real estate investors to refer to non-traditional means of real estate financing, or financing techniques not commonly used. The goal of creative financing is generally to purchase, or finance a property, with the buyer/investor using as little of...
from public and private sources and partnering with other social service organizations to give homeless and low-income residents more than just a roof over their heads. In selecting Haggerty for its prestigious award, the Foundation noted: "The success of these projects has called into question long-standing assumptions about low-income housing, such as the mix of populations that can live together harmoniously and the maximum efficient scale of such facilities."
Street To Home
Among Common Ground's activities is documenting the homeless population and then trying to persuade those who spend the most time on the streets to seek permanent housing, even if they still have drugDrug
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
, alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
or medical problems. Some of those involved in the issue of homelessness
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
consider Common Ground a pioneer in this approach in the United States.
However, the count, which has been adopted by the city for use in other areas, is not an end to itself, but a first step. According to Becky Kanis, the Director of Common Ground’s "Innovations Department",
The important part is what we do with this information. We want to move from crisis management to lasting solutions. Other cities have done that successfully. We plan to do the same. ... At the real end of the day the only thing that’s going to matter is the people who have been thus far completely unwilling to accept the offers of shelter, etc. by outreach workers. Can we reach them and make a positive difference in their lives? What can we do compassionately to help these people who have, for all practical purposes, fallen through the cracks of society? That’s where our focus is; that’s what matters. ... We don’t know exactly what’s going to work here in New York, but we know what’s worked in other cities. Therefore, we’re going to spend our efforts doing those things, and as we find smarter and better ways to do things we will adopt them.
The Street to Home initiative is a partnership of Common Ground and the Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
Alliance, and the strategy reduced homelessness by 87% over two years. It incorporates strategic targeting of individuals and intensive followup modeled on the successful approach used in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
’s Rough Sleepers Initiative
Rough Sleepers Initiative
The Rough Sleepers Initiative was an initiative by the Government of the United Kingdom's Rough Sleepers Unit . It was designed to accommodate homeless people with emergency hostels.-Background:...
. The Rough Sleepers Initiative achieved a 75% reduction in street homelessness across England and prompted deeper investment in homelessness from Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
. In New York City, Street to Home has been adopted as a citywide strategy to reduce street homelessness by two-thirds within three years. Common Ground will direct all efforts on the streets of midtown Manhattan and throughout the boroughs of Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
and Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
.
Common Ground's initial strategy was to deal with a 20-block neighborhood around Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
with one of the highest levels of homelessness in the city, focusing on securing housing for those who have been living on the street the longest and need housing the most. They replaced the random "first come, first served" approach with a targeted, strategic process: identify and prioritize the most vulnerable individuals on the street, assess and negotiate housing options with those individuals, then house and retain.
Identify and Prioritize
Street to Home partners with Business Improvement District
Business improvement district
A business improvement district is a defined area within which businesses pay an additional tax or fee in order to fund improvements within the district's boundaries. Grant funds acquired by the city for special programs and/or incentives such as tax abatements can be made available to assist...
public safety officers or community outreach workers who – because they are on the front lines every day – have a thorough knowledge of the people continually living on their streets. They are trained by Common Ground in approaches to introduce clients to a housing team that will help them to secure housing. A simple tracking tool enables workers to differentiate between those who are consistently in the targeted area – called "anchors" – and those who are transients. The role of "anchor" individuals in street homelessness was identified in the Rough Sleepers Initiative, with subsequent targeting of those individuals yielding greater success – a tipping point – in engaging and moving individuals in the surrounding area. Common Ground developed a research-based Vulnerability Index to take the guesswork out of outreach and offer a rational system for prioritizing the most vulnerable homeless for housing.
Assess and Negotiate
Because most people who have lived on the streets for a long time are suffering from multiple disabilities and are usually eligible for some form of housing subsidy, Common Ground trains service providers in how to assess for eligibility for housing, services, and benefits, and provides tips on expediting this process. With the immediacy of the housing offer in hand for the individual, Street to Home uses techniques derived from Motivational Interviewing and Trauma Informed Care in working with clients to negotiate placement into housing. Street to Home assesses each individual’s eligibility for subsidized housing and income benefits and walks each person through the process of obtaining permanent housing- registering for disability or income support benefits, completing medical and psychiatric tests, and finding an apartment that fits the person’s needs.
House and Retain
Since the start of the Street to Home initiative, Common Ground has helped more than 175 adults – who had been homeless an average of 9.9 years – move from the streets directly into permanent housing, where more than 90% are able to maintain their housing. Most individuals who have lived on the streets for long periods do not wish to live in a shelter but want and are successful in their own homes, which begins their reintegration into society. Some clients of Street to Home have re-established relationships with family members. Many are working or have returned to school.
Foyer
While on vacation in IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Common Ground founder Rosanne Haggerty
Rosanne Haggerty
Rosanne Haggerty is an American housing and community development leader, and founder of Common Ground Community.She graduated from Amherst College, in 1982.She studied at Columbia University.She was an Adelaide Thinker in Residence....
looked into how that country addresses the housing needs of its poorest residents. She found in the city of Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, the Foyer Program, a model long used in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to help young people without family and at risk of homelessness make the transition to adulthood. Haggerty hoped the model might be useful in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where about 20 percent of homeless adults have a history of foster care
Foster care
Foster care is the term used for a system in which a minor who has been made a ward is placed in the private home of a state certified caregiver referred to as a "foster parent"....
, and where, according to one city agency, some 3,700 young people will age out of foster care between 2002 and 2004.
Haggerty decided to replicate the Foyer Program in her next project – the renovation of an old YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
residence in Manhattan’s Chelsea
Chelsea, Manhattan
Chelsea is a neighborhood on the West Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. The district's boundaries are roughly 14th Street to the south, 30th Street to the north, the western boundary of the Ladies' Mile Historic District – which lies between the Avenue of the Americas and...
neighborhood, which set aside 40 of its 207 units for young adults ages 18 to 24 who are aging out of foster and residential care or are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The Chelsea Residence (The Christopher) provides employment, educational mentoring and life-skills training programs; participants work over an 18-month to two-year period toward permanent housing and stable employment. The $32 million project, which includes $9 million for acquisition, has received state, city and private financing.
Foyers are a way "to help people who aren’t ready to be on their own to develop the life skills, job skills and maturity to lead independent, successful lives," according to Sister Paulette LoMonaco, executive director of New York City’s Good Shepherd Services.
Brownsville Partnership
The neighborhood of BrownsvilleBrownsville, Brooklyn
Brownsville is a residential neighborhood located in eastern Brooklyn, New York City.The total land area is one square mile, and the ZIP code for the neighborhood is 11212....
in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
has the largest concentration of public housing in the U.S.. The average household income is $8,000, and one third of the population is unemployed. It is for these reasons that Common Ground created the Brownsville Partnership.
The partnership offers a range of family services including parenting classes, prenatal instruction for first-time mothers, a visiting nurse program and high-school equivalency classes to residents of the two census tracts with the highest crime and unemployment. A map of these so-called "million-dollar blocks" hangs in the Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
.
Common Ground Institute (CGI)
Santa Monica, CaliforniaSanta Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
The goal in Santa Monica is to house the 10 most vulnerable people as soon as possible. Once they are housed, efforts will be directed toward housing the next 10 most vulnerable people, going down the list as far as possible.
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
In early December 2007, as part of Common Ground's Project 50, about two dozen Los Angeles County workers spent several nights walking Skid Row
Skid row
A skid row or skid road is a run-down or dilapidated urban area with a large, impoverished population. The term originally referred literally to a path along which working men skidded logs. Its current sense appears to have originated in the Pacific Northwest...
at 4 a.m., waking people who slept on the streets to ask them who they were and how they were doing. The answers helped create a registry of Skid Row street residents; the county and the city now promise to use that data to put the 50 most vulnerable in permanent homes with the healthcare, drug treatment, mental health services and counseling they need.
Los Angeles took decades to become the nation's homeless capital, but Project 50 has moved swiftly since the time the program was launched in October 2007. The substantive phase of the project – housing the 50 – is carried out with apartments provided by the Skid Row Housing Trust with city assistance.Project 50 provides a template for county departments to coordinate effectively and provides a guide for the county to cooperate with city housing agencies.
Other Collaborations
- New Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
- Adelaide, Australia
- Toronto, Canada
- United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
100,000 Homes Campaign
The 1000,000 Homes Campaign is "an effort to house 100,000 long term and vulnerable homeless by July of 2013." The campaign is supported by 37 communities around the United States. As of July 23, 2010, 5,474 people were housed using a five step model:- Build the local team
- Clarify the demand
- Line up the supply
- Move people into housing
- Help people stay housed
Other programs
HomeLink, Re-Entry Housing Initiative, Vulnerability Index, Hospital to Home, and Innovations TeamCurrent residences
As of March 2011 Common Ground has 12 buildings with 2,497 units.
| Building | Location | Number of units |
|---|---|---|
| The Aurora | Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square... |
178 |
| The Christopher | Chelsea, Manhattan Chelsea, Manhattan Chelsea is a neighborhood on the West Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. The district's boundaries are roughly 14th Street to the south, 30th Street to the north, the western boundary of the Ladies' Mile Historic District – which lies between the Avenue of the Americas and... |
207 |
| Kossuth Street | New Haven, Connecticut New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and... |
2 |
| The Lee | Lower East Side, Manhattan Lower East Side, Manhattan The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street.... |
263 |
| The Prince George | Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square... |
416 |
| The Times Square | Times Square, Manhattan Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets... |
652 |
| Montrose Veterans Residence | Westchester County, New York Westchester County, New York Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities... |
96 |
| The Schermerhorn | Downtown Brooklyn, New York Downtown Brooklyn Downtown Brooklyn is the third largest central business district in New York City , and is located in the northwestern section of the borough of Brooklyn... |
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| The Andrews | The Bowery, Manhattan | 146 |
| The Betty Ruth and Milton B. Hollander Foundation Center | Hartford, CT | 70 |
| The Brook | South Bronx South Bronx The South Bronx is an area of the New York City borough of The Bronx. The neighborhoods of Tremont, University Heights, Highbridge, Morrisania, Soundview, Hunts Point, and Castle Hill are sometimes considered part of the South Bronx.... |
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| Jamaica Safe Haven | Queens Queens Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States.... |
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The Times Square
- (Times SquareTimes SquareTimes Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
, Manhattan; 652 units)
This 15-story art deco building has a lobby with vaulted ceilings and a marble staircase. Fifteen years ago, the Times Square Hotel
Times Square Hotel
The Times Square Hotel is located in New York, New York. The building was built in 1922 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 4, 1995.-See also:*National Register of Historic Places listings in Manhattan from 14th to 59th Streets...
was in a state of decay. Its ceilings were caving in, its halls were dark and dangerous, and its tenants were drug addicts, homeless families and elderly people with no place else to go.
A young college graduate named Rosanne Haggerty
Rosanne Haggerty
Rosanne Haggerty is an American housing and community development leader, and founder of Common Ground Community.She graduated from Amherst College, in 1982.She studied at Columbia University.She was an Adelaide Thinker in Residence....
became obsessed with saving the run-down hotel at the corner of Eighth Avenue and 43rd Street from the wrecker’s ball and convertinmg it into a home for street people, low-income workers and psychiatric survivors. Haggerty and other housing activists applied for every grant, tax credit and low-interest loan available, won the support of corporate and community leaders and sold Mayor David Dinkins
David Dinkins
David Norman Dinkins is a former politician from New York City. He was the Mayor of New York City from 1990 through 1993; he was the first and is, to date, the only African American to hold that office.-Early life:...
on their vision.
In 1994, the restored Times Square Hotel emerged from its scaffolding, and is today the home to 652 residents. Supportive social services are provided by the Center for Urban and Community Services.
The Prince George
- (Midtown ManhattanMidtown ManhattanMidtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
; 416 units)
For decades the Prince George Hotel, with its burnished wood, lavishly detailed ceilings and classical columns welcomed visitors to Edith Wharton
Edith Wharton
Edith Wharton , was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist, short story writer, and designer.- Early life and marriage:...
’s New York. But then the hotel declined, becoming one of New York’s notorious welfare hotels of The Bowery (Manhattan)
Bowery, Manhattan
Bowery , commonly called "the Bowery," is a street and a small neighborhood in the southern portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan...
in the 1980s, when it housed about 1,600 people. The city closed it in 1989.
Today, the hotel on East 28th Street has reopened, combining aspects of both of its previous incarnations. It once again provides housing to the formerly homeless, but the number of residents is far less, and they are able to take advantage of supportive services right in the building. At the same time, the Prince George has been restored to its former glory in what now has become one of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
’s official historic districts, Madison Square North
Madison Square North Historic District
The Madison Square North Historic District is in Manhattan, New York City, and was created on June 26, 2001 by the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission.Lying north and west of Madison Square Park, the district's boundaries are irregular...
, with particular attention to its once-again elegant ballroom, a grand gathering place. Supportive social services are provided by the Center for Urban and Community Services.
Prince George Ballroom
In 2004, Common Ground launched an ambitious project to restore the 5000 square feet (464.5 m²) ballroom and adjacent former Hunt Room. The project presented an opportunity to offer needed training and jobs. Common Ground, working with four other non-profit groups, arranged for at-risk youth, high school students interested in restoration arts, architectural students, and individuals with HIVHIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
/AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
to work on the renovation. Students at the Parsons School designed and built an entry foyer and gallery space in what had been the Hunt Room. Faced with an area that was beyond restoration, the students developed an airy, modern space that is now the World Monuments Fund
World Monuments Fund
World Monuments Fund is a private, international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites around the world through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and training....
Gallery, which serves as a special exhibition and events space.
The Christopher
- (Chelsea, ManhattanChelsea, ManhattanChelsea is a neighborhood on the West Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. The district's boundaries are roughly 14th Street to the south, 30th Street to the north, the western boundary of the Ladies' Mile Historic District – which lies between the Avenue of the Americas and...
; 207 units)
In 2000, the YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
sold its second building for $9 million to Common Ground Community of Manhattan. The building, which is entered through 202 West 24th Street, once housed the Y’s transient residences. In July 2000 the group began a $23 million transformation of the 24th Street building into 207 residences for homeless people and low-income single adults - those earning up to $32,640 a year - as well as teenagers at risk of becoming homeless. Supportive social services are provided by the Center for Urban and Community Services.
The Andrews
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- (The Bowery, ManhattanBowery, ManhattanBowery , commonly called "the Bowery," is a street and a small neighborhood in the southern portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan...
; 146 units)
- (The Bowery, Manhattan
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Common Ground Community purchased The Andrews, a dingy century-old building, in 2002 for $2.5 million. The removation added three floors to accommodate 136 residential units and allow for a medical team to be housed on the premises. Transient male lodgers, once derided as “Bowery bums,” are charged $36 a week.
The Betty Ruth and Milton B. Hollander Foundation Center
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- (Hartford, ConnecticutHartford, ConnecticutHartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
; 70 units)
- (Hartford, Connecticut
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Common Ground renovated the property at 410 Asylum, known as The Capitol Building, and created 70 mixed-income apartments there, along with space for street-level retail businesses. The rehabilitation of the Hollander Foundation Center incorporates sustainable design elements that enhance energy efficiency and reduce the building’s carbon footprint. Green elements include a high-efficiency heating system, low-flow fixtures, an energy-efficient lighting plan, EnergyStar appliances and plans for a green roof. Common Ground now incorporates green in all of its projects in Connecticut and New York.
The upper floors of the former office building were converted into 70 affordable mixed-income apartments. The street level storefronts, comprising 13000 square feet (1,207.7 m²) were also restored. About 80 percent of the apartments at the center are rented to those with incomes below 60 percent of the area’s median income. Rents start at $765 per month. The remaining two-bedroom units will be rented at market rate, $1,400 per month.
Construction was completed in the summer of 2009.
The Lee
- (Lower East SideLower East SideThe Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
, Manhattan; 263 Units)
In 2007, the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (“HPD”), in cooperation with Common Ground began construction on a $59 million, 99000 square feet (9,197.4 m²) supportive housing complex at 133 Pitt Street on the Lower East Side that will be Manhattan’s first such LEED
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
Silver development. Designed by Kiss + Cathcart Architects (Brooklyn Health House, Stillwell Avenue Subway Terminal), The Lee, named after one of the project’s major financiers, will offer affordable housing and on-site social services for 263 residents. 104 units are reserved for the homeless, 105 are for low-income residents, and 54 units are for young adults that are at high risk for homelessness. Green design features include an efficient condensing boiler, a green roof, efficient water fixtures, high-performance lighting, and low-irrigation landscaping. HPD and Common Ground expect a minimum of twenty percent savings in utility expenses.
Montrose Veterans Residence
- (Westchester County, New York; 96 units)
Renovation of a vacant hospital building on the Montrose campus began Nov. 27, the result of a partnership between the VA and Common Ground. By Fall 2008, the first phase of the project was completed accommodating 96 veterans.
The $700,000 renovation included asbestos removal, electrical and plumbing upgrades, a new fire-alarm system and architectural changes to create individual rooms and common rooms in the post-World War II-era building. Most residents are referred by the Montrose VA
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
’s Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans Program after a four-month rehabilitation program there. Others come from shelters and streets in New York City and Westchester County as well as veterans returning from the wars in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
who are facing imminent homelessness.
During their nine- to 12-month stays, veterans also receive support to find employment, manage their physical and mental health conditions, reconnect with family, and later move into their own apartment.
The Schermerhorn
- (DowntownDowntown BrooklynDowntown Brooklyn is the third largest central business district in New York City , and is located in the northwestern section of the borough of Brooklyn...
, BrooklynBrooklynBrooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
; 217 units)
This eleven-story, 217-unit apartment building in Brooklyn’s Boerum Hill neighborhood was completed in 2008. Units are for households earning under 60% of the area’s median income, and half are reserved for the homeless or people with special needs. Schermerhorn House is surrounded by luxury condominiums and townhouses, so developers Common Ground and the Actors Fund knew good design was vital to winning local support. They interviewed top architects, and in a sign of growing interest in affordable housing, nearly all of them expressed interest. “I was even worried if they were going to take my call,” says Nadine Maleh, Common Ground’s director of design and construction. The developers chose Polshek Partnership, a New York firm known for high-profile projects such as the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, and the new planetarium building in New York’s Museum of Natural History
Museum of Natural History
A museum of natural history is a museum with exhibits about natural history, including such topics as animals, plants, ecosystems, geology, paleontology, and climatology. Some museums feature natural-history collections in addition to other collections, such as ones related to history, art and...
. Polshek’s design — which has a glass façade and a rooftop garden — is meant to fit in with the surrounding buildings. But the glass wall isn’t just for looks: Due to site restrictions, part of the project had to be built atop a subway tunnel, a complex engineering challenge. Instead of making the north wall out of heavy masonry, the architects used textured glass, which is lighter and allowed for less costly support trusses. “Constraints can be challenging, but they can provide opportunity,” says Polshek principal Susan Rodriguez. Polshek, like many prominent firms working in this field, charged a reduced fee.
Supportive social services are provided by the Center for Urban and Community Services and The Actors Fund.
Other current facilities
- The Aurora (Midtown ManhattanMidtown ManhattanMidtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
; 178 units) - Kossuth Street (New Haven, ConnecticutNew Haven, ConnecticutNew Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
; 2 units) - The Brook (South BronxSouth BronxThe South Bronx is an area of the New York City borough of The Bronx. The neighborhoods of Tremont, University Heights, Highbridge, Morrisania, Soundview, Hunts Point, and Castle Hill are sometimes considered part of the South Bronx....
; 190 units) - Jamaica Safe Haven (QueensQueensQueens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
; 60 units)
Facilities under construction
As of March 2011 Common Ground has 5 buildings with 554 under construction (only 371 units shown below).| Building | Location | Number of units |
|---|---|---|
| Cedarwoods (Windham House) | Willimantic, Connecticut Willimantic, Connecticut Willimantic is a census-designated place and former city located in the town of Windham in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was estimated at 15,823 at the 2000 census. It is home to Eastern Connecticut State University, as well as the Windham Textile and History Museum.... |
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| The Domenech | Brownsville, Brooklyn Brownsville, Brooklyn Brownsville is a residential neighborhood located in eastern Brooklyn, New York City.The total land area is one square mile, and the ZIP code for the neighborhood is 11212.... |
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| The Hegeman | Brownsville, Brooklyn Brownsville, Brooklyn Brownsville is a residential neighborhood located in eastern Brooklyn, New York City.The total land area is one square mile, and the ZIP code for the neighborhood is 11212.... |
161 |
| King Place | New Haven, CT | 2 |
| 1630 Dewey Avenue | Rochester, NY | 80 |
Awards and honors
The following awards were given to founder Rosanne HaggertyRosanne Haggerty
Rosanne Haggerty is an American housing and community development leader, and founder of Common Ground Community.She graduated from Amherst College, in 1982.She studied at Columbia University.She was an Adelaide Thinker in Residence....
:
- MacArthur Fellowship
- Ashoka Fellowship
As an organization, Common Ground received these awards:
- Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence
- Peter Drucker Award for Non-Profit Innovation
- World Habitat Award through the United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
and Building and Social Housing Foundation
See also
- HomeGround ServicesHomeGround ServicesHomeGround Services is a homelessness, housing and support agency working to end homelessness in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is part of the Australian Common Ground Alliance, which is affiliated with Common Ground...
- Homelessness in AustraliaHomelessness in AustraliaThis article describes homelessness in Australia. The majority of long term homeless people are found in the large cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane...
- Housing Commission of VictoriaHousing Commission of VictoriaThe Housing Commission of Victoria was a State Government body responsible for public housing in Victoria, Australia...
- Housing NSW
- Public housing in the Australian Capital TerritoryPublic housing in the Australian Capital TerritoryGovernment built housing in Canberra and the Australian Capital Territory has a history stemming from the decision to build the National Capital in the bush. In the early years Canberra's housing was entirely government-built and even after private development took over there has been a number of...
- Supported Accommodation Assistance ProgramSupported Accommodation Assistance ProgramThe Supported Accommodation Assistance Program is aimed at reducing homelessness in Australia. SAAP started in 1985 when Commonwealth and State/Territory funding programs were brought together. The object of the new arrangement was to grant financial assistance to the States to administer the SAAP...
- South Australia's Thinkers in Residence ProgramThinker in ResidenceThinkers in Residence is a program in Adelaide, South Australia, that brings leaders in their fields to work with the South Australian community and government in developing new ideas and approaches to problem solving, and to promote South Australia....