For more than three decades, Breaking Ground has focused on building programs and housing that help people exit homelessness and find stability for the long term. Last year was no exception. In 2023, more than 16,000+ individuals were served by our initiatives, by far the most ever for a 12-month period. In most instances, those thousands of individuals have either overcome a long-term struggle with homelessness through our interventions or are making steady progress to that same end, advancing our mission to have meaningful, long-term impact on the people we serve.
Breaking Ground’s Connect to Care suite of programs, which bring our outreach approach into privately managed spaces and discrete geographic areas, grew significantly through the Homeless Assistance Fund (HAF) of the Partnership for New York City in 2023. By deploying more than 100 outreach workers across areas of Manhattan and Brooklyn, we reached more than 500 people who had not previously been connected to outreach teams. Overall, through partnerships with Macy’s, Starbucks, Vornado, and the HAF, these programs touched the lives of more than 7,000 people in 2023.
Safe havens are a crucial harm reduction resource for street homeless New Yorkers, providing an immediate, safe option to come indoors while continuing to work toward permanent housing options. In 2023, we opened our first safe haven on the Upper West Side, and have doubled our capacity since 2021. For much of Breaking Ground’s existence, we have been the largest operator of permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless individuals in New York and largest above ground street outreach provider in the City to engage unsheltered men and women on a path towards healing. Today, we also have responsibility for the most Safe Haven beds within the five boroughs.
Permanent housing is core to our mission at Breaking Ground, and we were thrilled to start construction on our first residence in Queens last year. With more than 2,000 units of housing in our pipeline, we are working every day to expand opportunities to have a home for New Yorkers from all walks of life.
We are pleased to release our full 2023 Impact Report below. Thanks to you, our community of supporters, we will continue to envision and build a future where everyone has a home.
