About Us

About Us

Housing Works is a healing community of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Our mission is to end the dual crises of homelessness and AIDS through relentless advocacy, the provision of lifesaving services, and entrepreneurial businesses that sustain our efforts.

Our Three Pillars

Relentless Advocacy

Through our advocacy offices in New York City, Albany, Washington D.C., Haiti and Puerto Rico, Housing Works fights for funding and legislation to ensure that all people living with HIV/AIDS have access to quality housing, healthcare, HIV prevention information and other life-sustaining services, as well as legal protections from stigma and discrimination. We are a grassroots organization committed to the use of non-violent civil disobedience in order to further our mission.

Lifesaving Services

Since 1990, we have provided a comprehensive array of services to more than 30,000 homeless and low-income New Yorkers living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. We believe that providing stable housing is healthcare and is the first step toward living a long and healthy life. Supportive services include but are not limited to housing, healthcare, meals and nutritional counseling, mental health and substance use treatment, job training, and legal assistance.

Entrepreneurial Businesses

Housing Works pioneered the concept of social enterprise–businesses whose profits fund the mission of a parent not-for-profit organization. This self-sustaining model provides employment opportunities to the community in addition to fundraising. Our acclaimed Housing Works Thrift Shops and Housing Works Bookstore Cafe provide crucial funds towards our mission.

Our History

Here are a few select highlights from over the past 25+ years. For more in-depth information about our history, visit the Housing Works History timeline project.

Leadership & Boards

Earl Ward, Esq.

Chair

Partner, Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady LLP

Richard C. Biletta, CPA, MBA

Treasurer

The Mack Company

Dolores Cullum

Secretary / Consumer Representative

Kaitlin Abrams

Staff Representative

Eric Bartley

Consumer Representative

Gerry Brown

Consumer Representative

Dinick Martinez

Consumer Representative

Maria Morales

Consumer Representative

Isabel Wise

Consumer Representative

Andrea McCrink

Volunteer Representative

Carole Schwarz

Volunteer Representative

Charisse Cadle

Consumer Representative

David Cohen, MD

Member

Vice-chair, Dept. of Medicine, Maimonides Medical Center

Richard G. Dudley Jr., MD

Member

Daron Hudson

Member

Michael S. Gordon

Member

Partner, Baker & Hostetler

Richard Kaplan

Member

Sean Maher

Member

Director of Development and Planning, ICAP at Columbia University

Morgan Mulford

Member

Colleen Simmons-Barnswell

Member

Charles King

Ex-officio

President and Chief Executive Officer, Housing Works, Inc.

Thrift Shop Board

Neil Pirie

Chair

Jennifer Foyle

Vice Chair

Paul Munkholm

Vice Chair Digital Strategy

Yetta Banks

Treasurer

Mia Moretti

Secretary

Trish Donnelly Davidson

Board Development

Stephen Ferrara

Corporate Engagement

Guia Golden

Marketing / Digital

Michael S. Gordon, Esq.

Steven Horn

Thrift Oversight

J. Logan Horne

Events

Fabrice Houdart

Corporate Engagement

Norma Mascarotti

Thrift Oversight

E. O'Brien Kelley

Emeritus

Sally Shaw

Development, Thrift Oversight

Yumi Shin

Marketing / Digital

Bruce Starr

Marketing / Digital, Corporate Engagement

Jeffrey Tousey

Marketing / Digital

Melody Weir

Thrift Oversight

Jeffrey Wilson

Events

Community Healthcare Board

Marion Conde

Chair/Consumer Representative

Frank Quintero

Vice-chair/Consumer Representative

Max N. Rose

Board Treasurer

Cesar Figueroa

Consumer Representative

Ruth Garcia

Consumer Representative

Holland Givanchi

Consumer Representative

George Macklin

Consumer Representative

Germaine Norris

Consumer Representative

Yvonne Telesford

Consumer Representative

Diane Williams

Consumer Representative

Kathy Gueye

Member

Pamela DeCuir Johnson

Member

Catherine Lapsey

Member

Chenelle Nixon

Member

Kishor Malavade

Member

Reverend Michele Jackson Taylor

Member

Dr. Billy E. Jones

Member

Tywan Mata

Member

Jessica Diamond

Executive Director

Housing Works Community Healthcare

Matthew Bernardo

Ex-Officio

President, Housing Works, Inc.

Charles King

Ex-Officio

Chief Executive Officer, Housing Works, Inc.

Finance Committee

Rich Biletta

Co-chair

Max N. Rose

Co-chair

Matt Baney

Eric Bartley

Gerry Brown

Pamela DeCuir Johnson

Dinick Martinez

Morgan Mulford

Neil Pirie

Quality Committee

Sean Maher

Co-chair

Kishor Malavade

Co-chair

Louis Burns

Richard Dudley

Cesar Figueroa

Ruth Garcia

Jeff Jacques

Billy Jones

Tywan Mata

Maria Morales

Carole Schwarz

Colleen Simmons-Barnswell

Yvonne T.

Jorge Vazquez

Diane Williams

Strategic Planning

Kathy Gueye

Co-chair

Richard Kaplan

Co-chair

Ted Dawson

Yvette Hamilton

Fabrice Houdart

George Macklin

Andrea McCrink

Michelle Taylor

Audit and Compliance

Jennifer Lacks Kaplan

Co-Chair

Chenelle Nixon

Co-Chair

Kaitlin Abrams

Eric Bartley

Dolores Cullum

Tywan Mata

Kate Weinstein

Catherine Lapsley

Board Governance (Executive Committee)

Earl Ward

Chair

Kathleen McGivney

Marion Conde

Cheryl Plambeck

Frank Quintero

Rich Biletta

Neil Pirie

Bookstore Board

Nick McCarvel

Chair

Cheryl Plambeck

Secretary

Sara Dayton

Member

Libby Flores

Member

Brooks Headley

Emeritus

Caledonia Kearns

Member

Thomas Kretchmar

Member

Alan Light

Emeritus

Joshua O’Sullivan

Member

Helen Rosner

Member

Brandon Stosuy

Member

Our Future

Housing Works is a healing community of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Our mission is to end the dual crises of homelessness and AIDS through relentless advocacy, the provision of lifesaving services, and entrepreneurial businesses that sustain our efforts.

Over the next three years, we've defined three strategic objectives or focus areas for our work. These are:

1. People: Building a diverse and engaged leadership base.
2. Programs: Expanding our services to meet client needs and realize scale.
3. Innovation: Using our proven model of entrepreneurism and experimentation to diversify revenue streams and expand our footprint.

Our Mission

Housing Works is a healing community of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Our mission is to end the dual crises of homelessness and AIDS through relentless advocacy, the provision of lifesaving services, and entrepreneurial businesses that sustain our efforts.

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