On a frigid winter morning, with temperatures hovering around 17 degrees, more than 150 New Yorkers turned to Nazareth Housing’s food pantry — not just for nourishment, but for reassurance that they were not facing hardship alone. The moment captured the heart of Nazareth Housing’s mission: preventing homelessness by meeting people where they are and addressing the full reality of their lives.
Nazareth Housing is an agency of Catholic Charities of New York, serving as a community-based organization committed to the promotion of housing stability and economic mobility among vulnerable families and individuals across New York City. Through the provision of homelessness prevention services, emergency family shelter, supportive housing, and urgent needs assistance, the organization works to keep families safely housed and supported.
For Executive Director Rachel Levine, leadership begins with empowering those closest to the work. “My responsibility is to support the staff and make sure they have the resources they need to do the work as stated in our mission,” she said. “Program development comes from what the team learns from our community. We like to think that what we do comes from the ground up.” She emphasized that while she serves as a steward externally — through fundraising, partnerships, and governance — the staff are the true drivers of impact.
Stabilizing Families Before Crisis
That impact is often felt most urgently by clients facing eviction.
Catherine Ugarte, Program Director, explained that while clients come to Nazareth Housing with a range of challenges, eviction risk remains the most common. “One of the biggest barriers we see is that people just don’t have enough income to meet their basic needs,” she said. “Even affordable rents aren’t affordable for people on fixed or limited incomes.”
Through eviction prevention assistance, benefits enrollment, emergency grants, and referrals, Nazareth Housing helps families stabilize before a crisis becomes catastrophic. What sets the organization apart is trust: “Clients come to see us as part of their extended network — someone they can rely on,” said Ugarte.
Case management deepens that trust.
Kiana Colon, a case manager, described her role as both practical and relational. “A lot of people don’t even have the benefits they’re eligible for,” she explained. “Someone may come in for eviction prevention, and then you learn they’ve been out of work for a year with no unemployment, no SNAP, no health coverage.”
By helping clients navigate benefits, housing applications, childcare, education supports, and employment resources, case management becomes a long-term partnership rather than a one-time intervention.
One client’s journey illustrates the power of that approach.
“I had a client who came to us struggling with domestic violence,” Colon shared. “We were able to move her into supportive housing at St. Anselm’s. Now she’s employed, she’s more independent, and she and her children are in a safer, healthier environment.”
St. Anselm Housing, built by Catholic Homes New York, is a mixed-use development where Nazareth Housing provides on-site social services — a partnership that has proven life-changing for families in transition. Both organizations are part of Catholic Charities of New York’s network of agencies working together to provide housing, services, and long-term stability for families.
Meeting Basic Needs with Dignity
Food security is another critical entry point to stability.
Hannah George, Food Security and Community Engagement Coordinator, described the immediate relief clients experience through the pantry. “People come in and tell us, ‘There’s no food in my pantry,’” she said. “Then they leave saying, ‘Now I can feed myself.’ That’s huge.”
Through partnerships with Food Bank for New York City, City Harvest, dietitians, and volunteers — including college students — Nazareth Housing ensures access to nutritious food while building community. “Everyone deserves to have food,” George added. “That sense of stability matters.”
Chief Program Officer, Mildred Perez framed the organization’s work in deeply human terms.
“This isn’t just social services — it’s a human perspective,” she said. “Humans need a place to live. Humans need food.” She emphasized that clients may arrive seeking help for one issue, but Nazareth Housing looks beyond the immediate need. “We’re able to reach people for more than what they come in for, and that holistic approach is what makes the difference — especially for children and families.”
That holistic lens also shapes the organization’s focus on prevention over reaction.
“Homelessness prevention is not just about handing out a check when someone is about to be evicted,” Levine reflected. “It’s about working upstream — taking the time, with grace and love, to truly understand what people need.” That work, she stressed, depends on collaboration with partners like Catholic Charities of New York, donors, volunteers, and fellow community organizations.
In a city where housing instability continues to rise, Nazareth Housing stands firm in its belief that solutions begin with compassion, persistence, and partnership. As Perez put it, “Nazareth Housing is more than an organization — it’s a community, and it’s family.”
To learn more about Nazareth Housing, please visit: https://nazarethhousingnyc.org/
