The people with whom [Heritage] deals ... are at the bottom of the housing ladder; people whose lives are on the edge of disintegration; people trying day by day to beat the disease of alcoholism, or mental illness, or substance abuse. That is our clientele. … Without government assistance to house this population, they will be in everyone’s backyard, and in their parks, and under their highways, and in their train stations.
And housing is only the first step. They need counseling. They need individual support. They need treatment.
… for this country to remain great, it must deal with and find a way to use the great potential this large disadvantaged population represents in terms of manpower (personpower), diversity and creativity.
- Ana Pereria
Heritage offers 84 single rooms (with shared bathrooms and kitchens) of transitional (14 rooms) and permanent (70 rooms) housing for single adults with a history of homelessness. This community resource provides affordable, high-quality, supervised, and safe housing for residents not wanting, or not able, to afford regular apartment living. 50 of the permanent rooms are set aside for referrals from the New York City Department of Homeless Services. Staff closely monitor building access to the premises, and this housing program also offers a number of supportive services to its residents, including hot meals, on-going assessment and case management, individual and group counseling, peer support and referrals to collateral services. Although this housing can be transitional in nature, there are no specific length of stay restrictions.