\u201cIt feels fitting, frankly, that we are celebrating this progress on the day set aside to remember a man who dedicated his life to fighting for the downtrodden,\u201d said Mamdani. \u201cBecause make no mistake, as we reactivate the Just Home Supportive Housing Project, we are not simply creating 83 new apartments and supporting those who are struggling \u2014 we are advancing the cause of justice.\u201d<\/p>\n
He likened the project to Dr. King\u2019s \u201cThree Evils of Society\u201d speech, which argues \u201ctrue compassion\u201d goes beyond basic charity like \u201cflinging a coin to a beggar\u201d and requires addressing poverty\u2019s societal root causes. So supportive housing tackles not only shelter but homelessness\u2019s broader contributors like mental health conditions and substance abuse. The model pairs affordable rents with wraparound services including medical care and addiction recovery, often all under the same roof through a nonprofit provider. <\/p>\n
\u201cHaving my apartment, my very first apartment I ever had in my life, has made a difference in my life today because it is a step closer to fulfilling my mission to live better in life,\u201d added Taylor. \u201cIt\u2019s not just a place to live, it\u2019s a tremendous amount of support that may exist. Acknowledging I am a part of a community, my story should not be unique.\u201d<\/p>\n
Taylor is regarded as the \u201cmama bear\u201d of the Harlem-based Castle Gardens supportive housing development, which Just Home is modeled after. Reentry service provider, the Fortune Society manages both. But the nonprofit\u2019s president and CEO, Stanley Richards, says Just Home stands out from other supportive housing for formerly-incarcerated people by specifically addressing complex medical needs like cancer and heart disease. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey don\u2019t need hospitalization, they don\u2019t require hospice care, and they can\u2019t be cared for in-shelter because of the complexity of their medical needs,\u201d Richards told the AmNews. \u201cSo this will be a home for some of New York\u2019s most vulnerable people. The difference with Castle Gardens, 63 of those units are for [the] formerly-incarcerated regardless of medical condition.\u201d <\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/SupportiveHousing2.jpg\")
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announces his commitment to the \u201cJust Home\u201d program at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. Credit: Michael Appleton\/Mayoral Photography Office<\/p>\n
Ultimately, Just Home serves as a full-circle moment for Richards, who was himself born in Jacobi Hospital. He went on to become both the first formerly-incarcerated person to both lead the Fortune Society and serve as the first deputy commissioner for the NYC Department of Corrections. <\/p>\n
Just Home offers a planned 58 supportive housing units, while the other 24 for-rent apartments will go through the NYC Housing Connect Portal. Local residents making up to 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI) will receive preference. The last apartment will house a live-in super. Each unit will be rent-stabilized. <\/p>\n
Formerly-incarcerated individuals face higher rates of homelessness. And while the city boasts a Justice Involved Supportive Housing program to develop more projects like Just Home, returning citizens previously struggled with qualifying for broader supportive housing due to a requirement for time spent homeless. The city council passed a bill last year<\/a> to count time incarcerated in jail and prison toward such a threshold. <\/p>\n The long road home for Just Home stems from opposition due to the project\u2019s plan to house people leaving Rikers Island. Local resistance spurred ex-councilmember Kristy Marmorato\u2019s campaign. She ultimately upset incumbent Marjorie Vel\u00e1zquez in 2023 and became the Bronx\u2019s first Republican elected to office in roughly two decades. Former Mayor Eric Adams also backtracked his support last year, pointing to similar concerns and suggesting moving Just Home near Brooklyn\u2019s Broadway Junction, casting further doubt on the project. <\/p>\n \u201cFor too long, this project was stalled by fear-based opposition that treated people as problems instead of the neighbors that they are,\u201d said Public Advocate Jumaane Williams during the press conference. \u201cRestarting Just Home is a statement that our city chooses humanity over exclusion. Supportive housing works. We know it works.\u201d<\/p>\n To be clear, both NYC Health + Hospitals and the Fortune Society will screen potential Just Home candidates. They can apply during incarceration but can only move in after court release. H + H will pick out patients leaving jail with otherwise \u201cnowhere to live\u201d who will go through the Fortune Society\u2019s own screening process afterwards. Most prospective residents are over the age of 55. <\/p>\n