About Us

Our History

The Open Hearts Initiative formed in the summer of 2020 when a coalition of Upper West Siders came together to support our new neighbors who were relocated to temporary hotel shelters as part of the city’s response to COVID-19. 

What started as a group of neighbors joining together to counteract those on the Upper West Side who were denigrating shelter residents turned into a full-fledged advocacy organization. OHI volunteers worked closely in partnership with shelter residents and alongside service providers, and expanded to actions, protests, and demands for policy change. 

Now, we have hundreds of active volunteers in chapters across the city who support homeless New Yorkers and advocate for housing justice in their own backyards. 

Here’s how we do it.

  • We amplify the voices of those experiencing homelessness by advocating in our neighborhoods and beyond for policies that seek to truly end homelessness rather than simply making it less visible to people who are housed–policies grounded in our shared humanity and a belief in housing as a human right. 

    Get Involved

  • We organize free stores, donation drives, walk and talks, housewarming efforts, voter registration drives, community art events, and more to build empathy and understanding and mobilize community resources in support of homeless neighbors.

    Upcoming Events

  • We work with transitional housing facilities–including shelters, Safe Havens, and stabilization bed sites–to support their services on-site and ensure they meet the needs of our homeless neighbors.

  • We work to change the narrative about homelessness. We educate our housed neighbors and communities about housing justice, and we combat misinformation about homelessness and our unhoused neighbors through everything from public op-eds to personal conversations.

  • We collaborate with and support the many crucial organizations across New York City that advocate for housing justice.

Our Team

Staff

Corinne Low, Executive Director

Sara Newman, Director of Organizing

Caroline Schwab, Neighborhood Organizer

Will Woods, Neighborhood Organizing Intern

Teresa Topete, Neighborhood Organizing Intern

Advisory Board

Candice Braun

Reginald T. Brown, M. Ed.

Shams DaBaron

Caitlin Dooley

Kate Epstein

Amanda Fialk, PhD, LCSW, LICSW

Carl Garrison

OHI’s First Year

We’ve come a long way since we launched on the UWS when the Lucerne and other nearby hotels became temporary shelters. Learn more about our first year in action.