New York, NY – HELP USA today launched a nine-month campaign to commemorate 40 years of providing housing, support, and advocacy for individuals experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity.
The campaign theme, “Built on Innovation. Driven by Impact.”, reflects the organization’s legacy of pioneering housing models and its commitment to scaling bold, effective solutions nationwide. Since its founding in 1986 by former New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo and the opening of H.E.L.P. 1, New York State’s first transitional shelter with on-site services, HELP USA has redefined what housing can mean for families and individuals in crisis.
Over four decades, the organization has:
- Transformed nearly 550,000 lives through housing, prevention, and supportive services at more than 70 programs and sites across the country
- Established national models for transitional and permanent supportive housing, homelessness prevention, and public–private housing development projects
- Placed more than 1,300 households into long-term housing in 2024 alone — with thousands more each year
HELP USA is expanding to address the housing crisis, opening six shelters in New York City by 2027, increasing its local operations by 20% in just 18 months; and adding hundreds of new, affordable housing units across the state.
“Our 40th anniversary isn’t just a milestone. It’s a moment to recommit to the values that inspired our founding,” said Dan Lehman, President and CEO of HELP USA. “We’re here to meet today’s housing crisis with the same urgency, innovation, and resolve that defined our beginning.”
Each month, the anniversary campaign will highlight stories from clients, staff, and partners who’ve shaped HELP USA’s evolution—from its first transitional housing to today’s trauma-informed family shelters and permanent housing developments.
The campaign will culminate in June 2026 at HELP Heroes Night, the annual gala that honors the people and partnerships that power the HELP USA mission.
Follow along at helpusa.org and on HELP USA’s social media channels.
