Our History

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Since its founding in 1983 as a soup kitchen in a church basement on New York City’s Upper West Side, Jericho Project has worked to fulfill its mission to end homelessness at its roots by creating a community that inspires individual change, fosters sustainable independence, and motivates men and women to reach their greatest potential.

From its modest beginnings over two decades ago, Jericho has grown to provide safe, affordable housing coupled with individualized substance abuse prevention counseling, family support, and intensive career and educational programming to nearly 600 individuals and families annually.

Currently in a period of unprecedented organizational growth, Jericho Project has increased the number of supportive housing units it provides from 253 in 2008 to 500 this year. This growth has enabled Jericho to reach a diversified tenant population, including homeless veterans and families struggling to lift themselves and their children out of homelessness.

The vast majority of residents come to Jericho Project directly from New York City homeless shelters, residential substance abuse treatment programs, from referrals by the Department of Veterans Affairs, or off the streets. The average age of its residents is 47; 62% are men and 38% are women; 67% are African-American, 27% Latino/a, 5% Caucasian, and 1% Asian.

Jericho Project provides all of its supportive housing and services at a fraction of the economic and social cost of the alternatives — only $13,000 per year per unit at Jericho, compared to:

  • $25,000 for a cot in a New York City shelter;
  • $36,000 for a room in a family shelter; and
  • $72,000 for a City jail cell.
 

Jericho owns and operates six supportive housing residences—one in Central Harlem and five in the Bronx—that provide 174 single room occupancy units with shared kitchens and bathrooms and 135 small studio apartments. In addition, Jericho Project will complete the construction of its second new veteran supportive housing residences in early 2012. The residences will provide 76 units of supportive housing to homeless and at-risk veterans.

Jericho Project also manages a 115-unit Supportive Apartment Program that provides housing and its full-range of support services through apartments rented on the open market.

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Jericho launched its Supportive Apartment Program (S.A.P.) in 2008 with 27-units. Over the following four years, Jericho has grown the S.A.P. tremendously to meet the needs of an expanding tenant population. Now at 115-units, the program provides supportive apartments to 35 homeless individuals with histories of chronic substance abuse, 50 homeless veterans and their families, and 30 homeless families in crisis.

Jericho created its Veterans Supportive Apartment Program in 2009 upon the realization that many young veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were already cycling into homelessness and chronic unemployment. Started as a 20-unit pilot, the program now provides 50 units for homeless veterans.

Launched in 2010, Jericho’s Family Supportive Apartment Program provides 30-units of supportive housing to homeless families. Similar to its Veterans program, the families are provided with concentrated housing placement coupled with extensive case management services, including intensive employment services to enable them to remain housed.