Care For the Homeless

Victor's Story Nothing but a man doing what he loves. Music is Victor’s life. He’s partial to jazz, jump blues, R&B, and classic soul, but is up for any style as long as he can play the drums. As a successful freelancer, Victor has shared his talents with a number of different groups at a number of different venues. However, for the past three years, he’s played consistently at the famous Red Rooster Restaurant in Harlem, NY. Coincidentally, it was also three years ago that Victor first visited Care For the Homeless’ (CFH) Health Center at the Living Room/Safe Haven Shelter in the Bronx, NY. “I was on heroin for 25-years before I came to the Living Room,” said Victor. “Since then I’ve been on Suboxone, which I take three times a day.” Victor’s condition began all those years ago while he was out on tour. He recalled, “It was the 80s and I was on tour with a major artist at the time. Whether we were all just hanging out or travelling on the tour bus, there were...

Addressing the Whole Person Dr. Littleton with a Patient The streets outside the Care For the Homeless (CFH) Health Center (located at the Living Room/Safe Haven Shelter) rattle with a rhythm that should be familiar to most New Yorkers. Semi-trucks blow by, footsteps patter on the sidewalk, and the nearest park teems with laughing children. Across the street, a Dominican monastery stands as tall and proud as the day it was built in 1891, adding a touch of history to the area. Conversely, the rhythm inside the halls of the shelter and health center are anything but familiar. Located in the Bronx, the Living Room/Safe Haven a is a 24-hour, open access drop-in site, meaning anyone experiencing street homelessness is welcome to come in and spend time off the streets. CFH site partner BronxWorks offers hot meals, showers, laundry, and housing services to compliment the medical services provided by CFH. Despite the similarities it shares with other CFH sites, the Living Ro...

We are constantly inspired by the stories of real life heroes who have overcome obstacles in the fight against unstable housing. CFH is holding its sixth annual “Stories of Success” writing contest and we are looking for a 300-word story about success in overcoming a health challenge, in finding and maintaining stable housing or in advocating for better policies to fight, prevent or end homelessness. Contestants may also submit an essay about what they think success would look and feel like.   If you have a story of success – or know someone who does – please consider submitting it into our contest. All entries must be submitted with the author’s name and contact information. Submissions may be e-mailed to policy@cfhnyc.org or can be mailed or delivered to Nathalie at, 30 E. 33rd Street, 5th floor, New York, NY, 10016 by Friday, May 31 st . One winner will be selected by Care for the Homeless, will receive a prize and be asked to read their winning story at the CFH Su...

Join us on Thursday, June 20 th , at Broadway Presbyterian, 601 West 114 th Street in Manhattan, as Care for the Homeless (CFH), in partnership with Broadway Community, Inc., holds its sixth annual Summer Solstice Success Celebration recognizing the “ success stories” of New Yorkers who have overcome incredible obstacles while experiencing homelessness. The celebration will start with a meal at 4:30 p.m. followed by the program at 5:30 p.m. The event will recognize the achievements of New Yorkers who have obtained and maintained stable housing, overcome health obstacles and had outstanding advocacy achievements in the campaign for better policies to fight, prevent and end homelessness. We will also recognize our incredible CFH providers who have worked with our clients to achieve success. Also, the winner of CFH’s annual Short Story of Success Essay Contest, will read their submission. Join us for a celebration recognizing the success of our friends and neighbors. The c...

One factor that has increased the number of people experiencing homelessness in New York City is the eviction of low-income tenants from their homes. Historically, a low-income tenant facing an eviction proceeding in Housing Court was at a serious disadvantage compared to their landlord because of one very important factor, landlords always had legal representation. To counter this imbalance, in 2017, NYC became the first city to adopt the Right to Counsel (RTC), also known as Local Law 136, that established a right to free legal counsel in eviction cases. This major step forward in protecting low income tenants came after many years of advocacy by dedicated organizations and individuals supporting the rights of tenants facing the potential loss of housing. RTC provides tenants with household incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, $50,200 annually for a family of four , with no cost access to attorneys. Legal representation for an individual facing an eviction ...

Brooklyn Councilmember Antonio Reynoso joined CFH Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Regina Olasin, in touring our health center located at Peter Jay Sharp in April during our HIV Awareness Carnival. Councilmember Reynoso and Dr. Regina Olasin spoke about the health challenges that people experiencing homelessness face and what CFH does to address those challenges. Those efforts include a highly successful citywide Peer Outreach program that trains and employs currently or formerly homeless peers to locate unstably housed individuals not currently accessing health care services and provide them with the information and aid necessary to increase proper utilization. Councilmember Reynoso also took the opportunity to speak to CFH Staff, including our very own Peer Outreach Specialist, Crystal Santana, who spoke of the positive impact that the outreach program has in communities where people face incredible challenges accessing quality lifesaving services.  At CFH we provide primary medic...