129th Street Residence

Building History

Late in 1996, the New York State Department of Health approached WSFSSH about an adult care facility in Harlem known as Rena’s Residence. A non-profit had developed it at about the same time as Fleming House to house formerly homeless people who were living in recovery from drug and alcohol use. However, the organization lacked housing experience, and due to a confluence of circumstances, the program soon began to flounder. By 1996 the facility had been placed on the DOH “do not refer list” and there were grave concerns about the health and safety of the existing residents.

On February 27, 1997, a team of WSFSSH staff which had been gathered from many different WSFSSH buildings and programs walked in and took over operations; the 129th Street Residence was born.

It took about a year to stabilize the building, making the building clean and safe, helping a number of residents find more appropriate housing, and assisting those who continued to live there to get appropriate services. After the first year, 129th Street and its current tenants were able to welcome new residents into the community of the building.

129th Street provides affordable housing in single or double rooms and social services, as well as congregate dining and trained staff available 24 hours a day to assist with activities of daily living such as bathing, medication management, and crisis intervention. The 129th Street Residence is now a licensed adult home, owned and operated by WSFSSH. It provides permanent housing to 95 formerly homeless persons (age 40 and older), many of whom live with serious mental illnesses.