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Housing Works is a
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
-based
non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...
fighting
AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
and
homelessness Homelessness, also known as houselessness or being unhoused or unsheltered, is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and functional housing. It includes living on the streets, moving between temporary accommodation with family or friends, liv ...
. The charity is well known for its entrepreneurial businesses including a chain of
thrift shop "Thrift Shop" is a song written and performed by American hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring vocals from American singer Wanz, released in 2012, as the fourth single from the former's debut studio album, '' The Heist'' (2012). The lyr ...
s, which supports efforts to end AIDS and homelessness where they are based. They are also known for their social justice activism. , the organization has served 30,000 clients. In 1990, four members of the AIDS activist group
ACT UP AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) is an international, grassroots political group working to end the AIDS pandemic. The group works to improve the lives of people with AIDS through direct action, medical research, treatment and advocacy, ...
—Keith Cylar, Charles King, Eric Sawyer and Virginia Shubert—decided to dedicate themselves to serving one of New York City’s then-most neglected populations: the tens of thousands of homeless men, women, and children in the city living with HIV and AIDS. The activists called their new group ''Housing Works'' because they believed that stable housing was the key to helping
HIV-positive The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of '' Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the im ...
people live healthy and fulfilling lives and to prevent the further spread of the virus.


Operations

The organization runs a chain of
thrift shop "Thrift Shop" is a song written and performed by American hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring vocals from American singer Wanz, released in 2012, as the fourth single from the former's debut studio album, '' The Heist'' (2012). The lyr ...
s, a bookstore café, and a
dispensary A dispensary is an office in a school, hospital, industrial plant, or other organization that dispenses medications, medical supplies, and in some cases even medical and dental treatment. In a traditional dispensary set-up, a pharmacist dispense ...
as social enterprises to support their work and lower dependence on grants and
donation A donation is a gift for Charity (practice), charity, humanitarian aid, or to benefit a cause. A donation may take various forms, including money, alms, Service (economics), services, or goods such as clothing, toys, food, or vehicles. A donati ...
s. They also provide
health care Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wikt:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physic ...
, advocacy, job training, reentry services, harm reduction services including syringe exchange services, medication for opioid use disorder, mental health counseling, adult day health care, and
legal aid Legal aid is the provision of assistance to people who are unable to afford legal representation and access to the court system. Legal aid is regarded as central in providing access to justice by ensuring equality before the law, the right ...
support. The group has satellite offices in
Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is located on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River. Albany is the oldes ...
,
Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
,
Haiti Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...
,
Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
, and
New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
.


Bookstore Cafe & bar

Founded in 1994 and located in
Soho SoHo, short for "South of Houston Street, Houston Street", is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Since the 1970s, the neighborhood has been the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, art installations such as The Wall ...
on Crosby Street, the bookstore cafe is a successful
entrepreneurial Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value in ways that generally entail beyond the minimal amount of risk (assumed by a traditional business), and potentially involving values besides simply economic ones. An entrepreneu ...
business raising money to support the Housing Works mission. Run primarily by a team of specially-trained volunteers, the bookstore is funded entirely by donations, and resells both in the retail space and online. Free and ticketed events occur throughout the week, and the space is available for privately-rented parties, lectures, and is a popular wedding destination. Events range from story time and sing-a-long for babies, a middle-grade book group, storytelling, trivia, screenings, activist talks, comedy, music, and performance (artists include Iron and Wine, Bjork,
The Black Keys The Black Keys are an American Rock music, rock duo formed in Akron, Ohio in 2001. The group consists of Dan Auerbach (guitar, Singing, vocals) and Patrick Carney (Drum kit, drums). The duo began as an Independent music, independent act, record ...
,
Conor Oberst Conor Mullen Oberst (born February 15, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter best known for his work in Bright Eyes (band), Bright Eyes. He has also played in several other bands, including Desaparecidos (band), Desaparecidos, the Faint (previou ...
, and others), and many literary events celebrating established writers and new talent. The venue hosts twice-monthly editions of
The Moth The Moth is a nonprofit group based in New York City, dedicated to the craft of storytelling. Founded in 1997, the organization presents a wide range of theme-based storytelling events across the United States and abroad, often featuring promine ...
StorySLAM. The Cafe and bar sells food, hot and cold drinks, and is licensed to sell alcohol. The space has been featured in numerous movies and TV episodes, most recently '' Law & Order SVU''.


Thrift shops

Housing Works is well-known to New Yorkers for its chain of upscale thrift shops. The ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' has mentioned the shops in its
neighborhood A neighbourhood (Commonwealth English) or neighborhood (American English) is a geographically localized community within a larger town, city, suburb or rural area, sometimes consisting of a single street and the buildings lining it. Neigh ...
reviews. Housing Works Thrift Shop is featured in ''
Seinfeld ''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, with a total of nine seasons consisting of List of Seinfeld episodes, 180 episodes. It ...
'' episode 173, "The Bookstore". George is forced to buy a book from Brentano's Bookstore because he took it in the restroom. He then tries to donate it to Housing Works Thrift Shop and claim a $200 tax write off but the clerk at the thrift shop used to work for Brentano's so she recognizes the book has been flagged that it has been in the restroom and runs him out of the store.


Cannabis dispensary

Housing Works opened New York City and New York State's first legal recreational dispensary on December 29, 2022, with the proceeds funding Housing Works' larger mission combating homelessness and AIDS. Commenters and lawmakers have questioned the propriety of a homelessness and anti-AIDS non-profit funding its activities through drug sales. Housing Works also became the first recreational dispensary in New York to offer home delivery of cannabis products.


Haiti earthquake relief

In early 2010, Housing Works became involved in providing assistance to victims of Haiti's earthquake, especially those living with
HIV/AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
, by re-building three health clinics. Housing Works CEO Charles King auctioned off his trademark pony tail, and one bidder was Evangelical preacher
Rick Warren Richard Duane Warren (born January 28, 1954) is an American evangelical Christian pastor and author. He is the founder of Saddleback Church, an evangelical Baptists, Baptist megachurch in Lake Forest, California. Since 2022, he serves as execut ...
. When Housing Works relief workers were forced to "abandon eight carry on bags filled with relief supplies" due to high fees,
Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a Major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, operating nine hubs, with Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport being its ...
agreed to ship the supplies for free.


Advocacy

Housing Works is involved in advocating for health care reform and affordable housing. In 1994, Housing Works enlisted architect Alan Wanzenberg to design a 36-unit, five story residence for homeless people with AIDS or HIV. In October 2019, Housing Works organized a mass demonstration outside of the Supreme Court in support of LGBTQ civil rights, resulting in over 100 activists being arrested.


Controversies


Union busting

In late 2019 and into 2020, Housing Works leadership began engaging in what many progressive leaders and labor organizations classify as
union busting Union busting is a range of activities undertaken to disrupt or weaken the power of trade unions or their attempts to grow their membership in a workplace. Union busting tactics can refer to both legal and illegal activities, and can range anywhe ...
after the staff began a worker-led unionization effort to address a host of issues (such as workplace safety, benefits, and a lack of a living wage for many workers while some of the organization's executives receive six-figure salaries) impacting staff and the quality of service they provide to their community. Despite their assertion that they are not anti-union, Housing Works has retained a known "
union busting Union busting is a range of activities undertaken to disrupt or weaken the power of trade unions or their attempts to grow their membership in a workplace. Union busting tactics can refer to both legal and illegal activities, and can range anywhe ...
" firm, Seyfarth Shaw LLP, "which prides itself on keeping workplaces 'union-free,' according to its website, and has a history of cases that include working against the 1960s agricultural labor activist
Cesar Chavez Cesario Estrada Chavez (; ; March 31, 1927 – April 23, 1993) was an American labor leader and civil rights activist. Along with Dolores Huerta and lesser known Gilbert Padilla, he co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), ...
and defending
Harvey Weinstein Harvey Weinstein (, ; born March 19, 1952) is an American film producer and convicted sex offender. In 1979, Weinstein and his brother, Bob Weinstein, co-founded the entertainment company Miramax, which produced several successful independent ...
’s film company against a slew of sexual harassment claims."


See also

* Women's Interagency HIV Study


References


External links

* {{AIDS Organizations based in New York City HIV/AIDS organizations in the United States LGBTQ health organizations in the United States Medical and health organizations based in New York City Recycling in New York City Waste management infrastructure of New York City 1990 establishments in New York City Independent bookstores of the United States