A Nutshell History of Westhab


1981: Westhab founded by successful Westchester County real estate professionals, who decide that the way to provide decent, affordable housing is for them to build it.

1982: Westhab and Westchester County Department of Social Services design new approach to housing the homeless, using public assistance funds to preserve and expand low-income housing rather than pay for motel shelter. Westchester County is first in nation to use this innovative approach.

1983-1988: Numbers of homeless continue to rise. Westhab begins to acquire and renovate entire vacant buildings for transitional and permanent affordable rental housing. Tangible benefits to local neighborhoods, e.g. security presence outside buildings; maintaining properties on local tax rolls.

1989: Westchester County adopts plan for not-for-profit agencies to develop and manage family homeless shelters. At request of Mayor of Mount Vernon, County contracts with Westhab to renovate and manage the 35-room Vernon Plaza.

1991-1993: County contracts with Westhab to renovate and manage 104-room Westhab Family Center in Elmsford; 61-bed workfare homeless shelter for single men, the Vaughn Glanton Employment Residence, in Greenburgh; and 100-room Coachman Family Center, in White Plains.

1994: Westhab provides a hierarchy of homeless housing resources: family and singles shelters; special-needs facilities; apartments in fully serviced and secure buildings; and scattered site apartments. Westhab re-housing 200 homeless families per year into permanent housing. Mission and programs expand to help clients achieve self-sufficiency through job training and targeted community development.

1995-1996: HUD-funded STAIR program begins, combining housing and employment training. Comprehensive employment training program begins for homeless and low-income residents who have few marketable job skills. Within two years program is graduating 100/year into full-time career track employment, with average (current) salary of $8.30/hour. Drop-in child care center for homeless HIV/AIDS-impacted families opens in Yonkers. New emphasis on comprehensive quality assurance/quality improvement program and broadening revenue base via economic development activities.

1997: Westhab renovates vacant fire-damaged building in Yonkers for permanent affordable rental housing; initiates formation of neighborhood associations; and establishes after-school programs at two Westhab buildings.

1998: Westhab’s first new construction of affordable permanent rental housing built in Yonkers.

1999: Construction begins on Westhab’s first new construction homeownership project, 22-unit mixed-income condominiums. This is the first homeownership project to be built as a result of landmark federal housing desegregation order in Yonkers.

2000: Westhab moves record 227 families from homelessness into permanent housing, an 18% increase over the previous year. Recidivism rate (return to homelessness after living in permanent housing for two years) only 3.9%.Westhab builds second new construction, affordable apartment building in Yonkers. Groundbreaking on new affordable condominium project in Mount Vernon. Westhab becomes first recipient of County’s New Homes Acquisition Program. Westhab receives two new County-funded grants: Family Self-Sufficiency Project, to provide rent subsidies and equity building for families transitioning from welfare to work; and Rental Assistance Program for homeless families moving into affordable apartments.

2001: Another record-setting year for Westhab's Permanent Housing Services Unit: 301 households moved from transitional to permanent housing (a 33% increase over year 2000's record-setting 227.) Recidivism at less than 4%. Westhab begins to implement "normative community" model at shelters. Renovations at Windham begin, converting 15 SROs to studio apartments. Westhab acquires 12-unit building in Mt. Vernon under Westchester County New Homes Acquisition Program.

2002: Westhab's Employment and Training Programs begin Wage Subsidy Program. Acquisition of 10-unit fire-damaged building for renovation, and development of 29-unit new construction affordable housing in Yonkers. Westhab's website launched. Westhab receives Achievement Award for Excellence in Housing Development from the Westchester Interfaith Housing Corporation. Westhab initiates grassroots community organizing in Nodine Hill section of Yonkers and helps launch the South Mount Vernon Business and Merchants Alliance.

2003: Westhab moves 260 homeless families into permanent housing and builds 78 units of affordable housing. We guide the Nodine Hill CommUNITY Initiative from fledgling beginnings to establishment as an effective, respected resident-led advocacy body for the distressed neighborhood. With a five-year $1 million US HHS grant, we open Youth FOCUS, a transitional living group home for homeless 16-to-21-year olds. Employment and Training opens its Community Resource Center, to broaden employment services to a larger community.

2004: Westhab moves a record number 330 homeless families into permanent housing. Completes construction of three apartment buildings for a total of 30 affordable rental units, and has additional 108 units in production by year's end. As homelessness in Westchester declines Westhab expands both housing and community development efforts, including 40% expansion of our real estate development division. Employment Services trains and places 97 adults into jobs paying an average $9/hour, and begins very successful workplace literacy training. Normative community training in shelters expands to include leadership development. Westhab launches Top Chefs Soup, an employment training business for homeless residents, producing gourmet dried bean soup mixes with recipes from Westchester's top chefs.

2005: By year end Westhab completes construction (and occupies) 15 new units of affordable rental housing units, with 64 units still under construction. Westhab moves 231 homeless households into permanent housing as homelessness continues to decline in Westchester County. Westhab launches second social entrepreneurship business, Andy OnCall of Westchester (AOCW) to build new revenue stream with which to continue to develop critically needed affordable housing and underserved communities in the County. Westhab begins work for the first time in New York City, managing two properties for Hale House. Westhab reorganizes corporate structure to maximize service delivery efficiency as we move ahead with strategic plan priorities. Westhab trains and places over 150 homeless individuals into permanent jobs.

2006: Homelessness reduced sufficiently that Westchester County closes two family shelters, totaling 135 rooms. Westhab continues to expand supportive services at remaining shelters that we operate for the County. Westhab and the US Dept of Veterans Affairs Hudson Valley Health Care System collaborate to create new supportive housing for homeless veterans. Westhab completes construction and occupies our newest apartment buildings in Mount Vernon and Yonkers, totaling 49 affordable rental apartments for families. Westhab also contracts to manage approximately 700 affordable apartments in Harlem and the Bronx for another not-for-profit developer. Westhab receives approval of $5 million in grants and tax credits from NYS DHCR to build new mixed-income rental building in New Rochelle. Westchester County Dept. of Social Services contracts with Westhab to provide extensive employment program for hardest-to-serve customers. We open our Elm Street Neighborhood Center, the "safe haven" for Yonkers Third Precinct federal Weed and Seed Initiative, where we provide academic, life-skills, recreation, and arts enrichment for families in the Nodine Hill neighborhood.

2007: Westhab begins affordable housing/community development outside of Westchester County for the first time in its history, in the Bronx, and in two cities in Connecticut-Norwalk and Stamford. Westhab completes and occupies gut-renovation supportive housing for 12 disabled veterans in Yonkers. US Department of Housing and Urban Development announces $6.6 million award to Westhab to build affordable senior housing in New Rochelle, with co-developer Shiloh CDC. Yonkers Police Department and Westhab embark on two joint youth initiatives - helping gang members redirect their lives, and youth-police relationship building in the Third Precinct. Westhab launches new distance learning program for adults to improve academic and employment competencies. The B.L.U.E. Room (Books Launch Unlimited Experiences), a family library and literacy center opens at the Coachman Family Center. The Elm Street Neighborhood Center sees a tripling in attendance with summer youth programs.