Urban Resource Institute

04/07/2026

Survivors shouldn’t just have a seat at the table. They should be leading the conversation.

Their lived experience brings the insight, strength, and clarity needed to shape systems that truly support safety and healing.

When survivors lead, change becomes real—and lasting.

04/01/2026

On the first day of Financial Literacy Month, we’re centering a truth we see every day: economic security is safety.

Nearly 98% of survivors experience economic abuse. Without access to basic needs like housing, food, and income, true safety isn’t possible.

As Teal Inzunza, Associate Vice President of Justice Initiatives at URI, reminds us: survivors should never have to choose between safety and survival. Economic security is not optional — it’s essential.

04/01/2026

We’re excited to announce that Angela Yee will join us as a special guest and host for the 2026 URI Celebration: STRONGER.

Angela has spent her career creating space for honest conversations and uplifting communities across the country. Her voice has informed, empowered, and connected millions—and now she’s bringing that energy to this year’s celebration.

At URI, we believe that when people come together with purpose, we build something stronger—for survivors, for families, and for our communities.

Be part of it. 🎟️ Get your tickets or become a sponsor: https://urinyc.org/celebration2026/

03/25/2026

Healing can look different for everyone. Sometimes, a book can be a powerful place to start.

For survivors of domestic violence, these reads offer insight, validation, and practical tools for moving forward:

📖 The Body Keeps the Score (understanding how trauma lives in the body)
📖 Waking the Tiger (exploring body-based approaches to release trauma)
📖 Healing the Trauma of Domestic Violence (step-by-step tools for recovery)
📖 No More Abuse (guidance on leaving safely and rebuilding your life)

03/25/2026

We’re honored to share that Tommy Davidson will be joining us as special guest and host at the 2026 URI Celebration: STRONGER 💛

From In Living Color to a decades-long career in entertainment, Tommy has brought joy to millions—but his story is also one of resilience, perseverance, and rising through life’s challenges.

That’s what STRONGER is all about.

Join us on May 20 at Jazz at Lincoln Center as we celebrate the power of community, connection, and showing up for one another.

Purchase tickets or become a sponsor at: https://urinyc.org/celebration2026/

03/23/2026

We are proud to join partners for the topping off ceremony of our 130th Street development in Harlem, marking an exciting step forward in expanding access to safe, stable, and affordable housing across New York City. 🏗️💙

This project is part of URI’s commitment to building a full continuum of housing, from emergency shelter to transitional and permanent homes, ensuring families have a pathway to long-term stability.

Once complete, the site will support families experiencing homelessness and provide affordable and supportive housing for survivors of domestic violence.

Developed in partnership with Archstone Builders, Aufgang Architects, and , this milestone reflects the power of mission-driven collaboration and thoughtful design.

Serving more than 40,000 individuals each year and housing nearly 4,000 people every night, URI continues to lead in creating solutions that help families rebuild and move forward.

This moment is more than construction progress. It is about building futures in Harlem and beyond.

03/21/2026

For 40+ years, URI has helped survivors and families—pets included—access safety, stability, and a path forward. 💙🐾

And now, we’re celebrating a big step forward.

We applaud New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Council Member Harvey Epstein for launching the Animal Welfare Caucus—recognizing that pets are family and belong in the systems designed to keep people safe.

At URI, we’ve seen what’s possible through our PALS program, where families heal together. And we’re excited to partner on expanding pet-inclusive policies across NYC. 🐶🐱

🐾 Learn more about PALS for All at https://bit.ly/palspawprint
📷 Credit: NYC Council

03/20/2026

On March 13, we celebrated the ribbon cutting of Magnolia Gardens in Flushing, Queens, a powerful example of what’s possible when partnership, purpose, and community come together.

This milestone reflects the leadership and collaboration of New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, Deputy Mayor Helen Arteaga PhD, NYC Department of Social Services Commissioner Erin Dalton, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Urban Resource Institute (URI) CEO Nathaniel Fields, Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE) Executive Director Thomas Yu, Assemblymember Ron Kim, Flushing Chinese Business Association Executive Director Peter Tu, KAFSC (Korean American Family Service Center) Executive Director Jeehae Fischer, Archstone Builders Managing Partner David Stack, Urban Architectural Initiatives, RA, PC Partner Jorge Chang, URI's General Counsel Lydia Fan Wong, Senior Vice President of Housing Initiatives Angela Thompson, Chief External Affairs Officer Lauren Schuster, and Senior Vice President of Asset Management Charles Carroll, and many more who helped bring this vision to life.

A special thank you to the Flushing community, numerous community-based organizations, and Team URI — whose dedication and care make spaces like this truly come alive every day.

Magnolia Gardens is more than a building. It reflects URI’s broader continuum of care, from emergency shelter to transitional housing to permanent homes, designed to move families — and soon, their pets — toward long-term stability.

👀Watch the full Program: https://youtu.be/m35nPH2-Smc?si=AZQwM1pIrCqjnut6
📸View the photo album: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCNjh7
📰 Read the press release: https://urinyc.org/download/uri-opens-magnolia-gardens/

03/20/2026

This is about more than budgets. It’s about lives.

As the largest provider of domestic violence shelter in the country, housing nearly 4,000 people each night across 25 NYC locations, URI’s Chief External Affairs Officer Lauren Schuster testified before to call for:

✅ Procurement reform and timely payments for services already delivered
✅ Pay equity for frontline human services workers
✅ Increased funding for communities disproportionately impacted by violence
✅ Expanded prevention and survivor economic empowerment
✅ Continued support for pet-inclusive shelter
✅ Sustained investment in legal advocacy for immigrant survivors

We are grateful to the City Council for their leadership and continued partnership during this critical time.

📣 Take action: Contact your Council Member to support survivor services, invest in the workforce, and strengthen the systems families rely on.

Survivors deserve stability. Workers deserve equity. Communities deserve investment.

March 17, 2026 - Urban Resource Institute (URI), the nation’s largest provider of domestic violence shelter, serves nearly 4,000 individuals each night acros...

03/18/2026

For many survivors, leaving an abusive situation means making impossible choices.

According to URI’s PALS Report and Survey, 97% of survivors say they are more likely to seek shelter if they can bring their pets.

Our People and Animals Living Safely (PALS) program helps ensure families don’t have to leave beloved pets behind in order to find safety.

03/16/2026

Urban Resource Institute was joined by Asian Americans for Equality, NYC DSS, and community leaders to celebrate the opening of Magnolia Gardens — a new purpose-built transitional housing community in Flushing, Queens for families experiencing homelessness.

The award-winning facility provides 90 apartment-style homes, wraparound services, and pet-inclusive housing through URI’s PALS program, giving families a safe place to stabilize and rebuild their lives.

We’re grateful to Deputy Mayor Helen Arteaga Landaverde, Commissioner Erin Dalton, AAFE, our development partners, elected officials, and community organizations who helped bring this vision to life.

Special thanks to PIX11 for highlighting this milestone.

Learn more about Magnolia Gardens at: https://urinyc.org/download/uri-opens-magnolia-gardens/

03/13/2026

Put yourself in their position.

That’s the message URI’s Chief External Affairs Officer, Lauren Schuster, shared with The New York Times as temperatures began to drop again in New York.

Convincing people living on the streets to come indoors—even when conditions outside are dangerous—is not simple. It often means leaving behind their entire world: their belongings, their community or even their pets.

Read more about the challenges of helping homeless people during the winter and what approaches are most effective: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/13/nyregion/nyc-street-homeless-outreach.html