Henry Street Settlement

Founded in 1893 by Lillian Wald, a social reformer and seminal Progressive Era activist, Henry Street Settlement’s enduring mission is to open doors of opportunity to enrich lives and enhance human progress for Lower East Side residents and other New Yorkers through social services, arts, and health care programs. As a deeply embedded anchor in our community, for 131 years Henry Street has remained true to our founding purpose as an organization—including fighting intergenerational poverty; stabilizing, enriching, and transforming our neighbors’ holistic wellbeing; and fostering a sense of empowerment, hope, and belonging among those we serve. As an organization, Henry Street is distinctive in our ability to maintain fully holistic on-the-ground services, while simultaneously performing as a best-in-class institution in terms of bold innovation/creativity, organizational fortitude, and leadership in the field. We have an extraordinary legacy of spearheading groundbreaking, nationally replicable solutions to social problems—including placing the first nurse in a public school (1902); founding one of the nation’s first place-based Mental Hygiene Clinic in low-income public housing (1946); establishing the nation’s first apartment-style shelter for homeless families (1972); helping create one of the first Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORC) in a public housing development (1994); and serving as a community first responder after numerous major crises including 9/11 (2001), Superstorm Sandy (2012), and COVID-19 (2020). Today, Henry Street reaches more than 50,0000 community members each year through our comprehensive suite of integrated, inclusive, and innovative human services, offered at 18 sites across the Lower East Side and within four primary service areas: Education & Employment, Transitional & Supportive Housing, Health & Wellness, and Visual & Performing Arts.

Through our suite of integrated, inclusive, and innovative program services which have transformed the lives of countless low-income New Yorkers over the course of 131+ years, Henry Street Settlement’s vision is to empower all those who seek our services with the support, enrichment, and stability they need to overcome the wide-ranging impacts of intergenerational poverty, harness their full potential, and achieve a brighter future for themselves and their families. As a historic leader in the field, Henry Street further aims to lead by example through bold, innovative solutions to large social problems; a holistic service approach which addresses both the impacts and root causes of poverty and inequality in our community; and a distinctive commitment to always listening, reflecting, and responding in real-time to our neighbors’ most pressing needs.

Goal One: Henry Street’s connection to the LES is central to our enduring relevance/impact; for 131 years we have remained committed to listening, reflecting, and launching new programs to meet evolving needs.

Goal Two: Henry Street’s organizational capacity is paramount to achieving our mission; we continually make investments in our infrastructure, ranging from IT and capital, to our comprehensive People Strategy.

Goal Three: Henry Street consistently expands existing services as needed, in response to growing demand—as evidenced by our comprehensive response to trends ranging from COVID-19 to today’s mental health crisis.