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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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, Deputy Executive Director
Caroline Schwab, Neighborhood Organizer
Jayme Zwerling, Neighborhood Organizer
Will Woods, Member Education & Programming Specialist
Teresa Topete, Neighborhood Organizing Intern
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.