History

Founded in 1983, Win (at the time Women in Need) began as a shelter for four homeless women and their combined six children. Today, Win is the largest provider of shelter and supportive housing to homeless families in NYC.

  • 1980
    • 1983 Feb
    • 1983 Nov
    • 1985
    • 1988
  • 1990
    • 1990
    • 1997
  • 2000
    • 2003/2005
  • 2010
    • 2013
    • 2016
    • 2016
    • 2018 Mar
1983 Feb
1983 Nov
1985
1988
1990
1997
2003/2005
2013
2016
2016
2018 Mar

February 14

1983

Women In Need Starts

Women In Need (Win) and the Church of St. Mary the Virgin in midtown Manhattan join together to open St. Mary’s House, an emergency residence for four homeless women and their combined six children.

Win Opens Its First Shelter

November

1983

Win Opens Its First Shelter

Win opens the Monica House shelter in Brooklyn. This program soon evolves into scattered-site apartments, with the idea of housing dual-parent families. Additionally, permanent housing for women in recovery is phased-in.

Camp Win Starts

1985

Camp Win Starts

Members of Win’s Board of Directors found Camp WIN, an eight-week summer day care program serving children of homeless families living in midtown “welfare hotels.” In 1992, Camp Win becomes an agency-wide program serving pre-school and school-age children of Win clients.

Aftercare Services Established

1988

Aftercare Services Established

Win begins Aftercare Services, a prevention program to support 100 re-housed families. The program helps prevent repeat homelessness by providing case management, workshops, home visits and referrals to families living in targeted neighborhoods in Brooklyn.

Win’s Volunteer Program is Formed

1990

Win’s Volunteer Program is Formed

The Volunteer Program is formalized for processing, orienting, training, and placing volunteers in Win’s programs. Today, Win has a roster of over 1,2000 volunteers.

Win Opens a Supportive Housing Unit at Decatur Street

1998

Win Opens a Supportive Housing Unit at Decatur Street

Win opens Decatur Street, which still to this day remains a supportive housing building for Win clients with program services available on-site.

Junius Residence in Brooklyn Opens Its Doors

2003/
2005

Junius Residence in Brooklyn Opens Its Doors

Win opens its largest facility the Junius Street Family Residence in East New York, a newly-renovated building for 213 families serving as transitional housing units for Win clients. In 2005, Win opens its Liberty Family Residence for 203 families right next door.

Win Starts Its Income Building Program

2013

Win Starts Its Income Building Program

Win starts its IBP which identifies the economic resources for each client to leave shelter and achieve independent success. The program assesses skills and job readiness, insures that all adults are employed or seeking employment, moves people from part to full time, and helps clients win higher pay.

Launch of The Forgotten Face of Homelessness

2016

Launch of The Forgotten Face of Homelessness

Win launches advocacy program with its first The Forgotten Face of Homelessness Campaign. The Campaign includes a white-paper with a set of policy proposals for city and state officials highlighting the fact that 70 percent of homeless New Yorkers are families with children. A city-wide ad campaign accompanies the launch.

The Thrive Initiative expands at Win shelters

2016

The Thrive Initiative expands at Win shelters

The Thrive Initiative increased the number of social workers in family shelters. Win worked with the city to ensure that the model included supervisors and a focus on children.

Stone House Opens

March

2018

Stone House Opens

Win opens its doors to Stone House, which is the largest permanent housing development in the City. It provide 96 units of supportive housing with wrap around services for formerly homeless women and their children and 64 affordable housing units. It also has onsite case management offices and community spaces.

Women In Need Starts

Win Facilities’ Openings

1980

1983

Win opens Monica House shelter in Brooklyn. This program soon evolves into the Monica Apartment Program, Win’s scatter-site “shelter without walls.”

1986

Casa Rita opens as a shelter for 16 families in the Bronx. In 1989, the shelter is renamed the Cosmetic Executive Women Residence at Casa Rita and is redesigned to serve families in need of residential alcohol and substance abuse treatment.

1987

Win opens the Alexander Abraham Residence for 31 families in Manhattan, named in honor of the donor who provides substantial funding and resources for the purchase of the building.

1989

The Lehman Brothers Residence in the Bronx is opened for 27 families.

1989

Phipps Houses contracts with WIN to operate the Lee Goodwin Residence in the Bronx. The building is owned by Phipps and managed by Win, and provides transitional housing for 32 families and permanent housing for 12.

1990

1992

Co-owned by Win and Phipps Houses, Sojourner Truth House in the Bronx is opened for 33 families. In 1995, its programs are redesigned to accommodate clients who are motivated to participate in intensive educational and employment training courses.

1998

Decatur Street opens, which remains to this day a supportive housing building for Win clients with program services available on-site.

1999

Triangle House, a permanent supportive housing program for ten families, opens its doors.

2000

2000

In conjunction with Hope Community, Inc., WIN begins to provide housing placement and social services to 73 families at the Jennie A. Clarke Residence.

2001

Suzanne’s Place opens in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, providing housing and services to 186 families.

2003

Win opens its largest facility: the Junius Street Family Residence in East New York, a newly-renovated building for 213 families.

2005

Win opens its second-largest facility in East New York, the Liberty Family Residence. Located adjacent to the Junius Street Family Residence, these two transitional facilities create a state-of-the-art facility for a total of 416 homeless families.

2010

2012

Win opens the Powers Residence shelter in the Bronx under an emergency declaration due to Superstorm Sandy.

2013

Glenwood Residence opens in Brooklyn. It is the first shelter to open in NYC as purpose-built.

East River Residence shelter opens in Manhattan.

Win West Residence opens in Manhattan as Win’s first single women’s shelter, in Manhattan. Win West was formerly Alexander Abraham residence and was a family shelter.

2015

Win opens its Westway Residence in Queens under an emergency declaration in February 2015.

2016

Families begin to move into Win’s supportive housing unit on Close Avenue. The building is a 50/50 mixed rental for affordable and supportive housing. Win only provides services for the supportive housing tenants.

2017

In October, Win’s supportive housing unit on 118th Street opens its doors to its first client (The land had been purchased by Win in 2015.).

In November 2017, Win opened two new shelters- the Bay Family Residence and the LaGuardia Residence.

In December 2017, Win opened a third shelter, the Lenox Residence.

2018

In March 2018, Win opened its doors to Stone House. The building is 40/60 mixed rental for affordable and supportive housing. Win only provides services for the supportive housing tenants. The site is the largest permanent housing development in the City.

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