Award-winning, culturally responsive, trauma-informed facility becomes the first shelter in Flushing emblematic of transitional housing models that are developed and designed around the unique needs of families experiencing homelessness
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New York, NY (March 13, 2026) — The NYC Department of Social Services and Urban Resource Institute (URI), the nation’s largest provider of domestic violence shelter services and a leading provider of housing for families experiencing homelessness, today opened Magnolia Gardens, a new purpose-built transitional housing facility in Flushing, Queens. The seven-story, award-winning facility is the first shelter of its kind in Flushing.
Developed in partnership with the New York City Department of Social Services (DSS) and Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE), Magnolia Gardens provides 90 apartment-style units for families with children facing homelessness. The site includes designated units that are designed to accommodate pets with the goal of implementing URI’s People and Animals Living Safely (PALS) program, to ensure families don’t have to part with their animals.
Designed to reflect and serve one of the most diverse communities in New York City, Magnolia Gardens offers culturally responsive services and multilingual staff who provide 24-hour family-centered support including case management, housing navigation, job readiness training, financial coaching, and therapeutic care to help families transition to permanent housing.
The building also sets a new standard for sustainable shelter design. Magnolia Gardens is the first transitional shelter in New York City built to Passive House (Phius) standards, dramatically reducing energy consumption through high-performance insulation, airtight construction, advanced ventilation, and efficient heating and cooling systems. These features create a healthier, quieter, and more resilient living environment for families while reducing long-term environmental impact.
“As a city, we must lead with innovation and humanity. Magnolia Gardens is the first facility of its kind in Flushing and Queens, and it has been a long time coming. We are proud to open a space where families can find safety, stability, and dignity when they need it most,” said Nathaniel Fields, CEO of Urban Resource Institute. “Magnolia Gardens will be first facility in New York City where families entering shelter through the NYC PATH intake system can bring their pets with them through our People and Animals Living Safely (PALS) program, removing a barrier that has kept too many families from seeking help. This project reflects URI’s deep commitment to culturally responsive care. Flushing is one of the most diverse communities in New York City, and we worked closely with our partners, developers, and the local community to ensure this building reflects and respects that diversity. From multilingual services to thoughtful design and programming, Magnolia Gardens was built to meet families where they are and create an environment where every family feels seen, welcomed, and supported.”
“New York City’s charter guarantees the right to shelter — and this Administration is committed to ensuring that shelters are not just accessible but also livable, safe, and high quality. Magnolia House is exactly the type of shelter this Administration is committed to opening,” said New York City Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Helen Arteaga. “New Yorkers experiencing homelessness deserve to live dignified lives in high-quality, culturally diverse shelters, like Magnolia, that represent the security and stability we’re promising in this new era for the City.”
“Magnolia Gardens exemplifies the city’s efforts to transform the shelter system by enhancing supports for vulnerable New Yorkers as we look to phase out the use of older shelter sites that don’t meet our standards. We are investing in novel shelter development models that empower our not-for-profit partners to own sites which are designed to meet the unique needs of our clients, and ensure high-quality, trauma-informed settings that are foundational to helping them stabilize their lives.” said Department of Social Services Commissioner Erin Dalton. “With the opening of this site, we are building on our long-standing partnership with the Urban Resources Institute which has helped countless families get back on their feet and secure long-term housing stability. To see the realization of our investments in innovative models that continue to raise the bar reinforces our commitment to embracing bold ideas that reimagine the city’s transitional housing ecosystem for vulnerable New Yorkers.”
Magnolia Gardens also sets a new standard for sustainable shelter design. The building is the first transitional shelter in New York City built to Passive House (Phius) standards and received a $1 million award from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) Buildings of Excellence Competition, which recognizes high-performance, low-carbon housing developments across the state.
Designed to meet PHIUS Passive House and Enterprise Green Communities standards, the building features a highly insulated, airtight envelope and advanced ventilation systems that significantly reduce energy use while improving indoor air quality and long-term climate resilience. The project’s award-winning design reflects the collaboration of Urban Architectural Initiatives (UAI) and Archstone Builders, who worked closely with URI and AAFE to create a sustainable, trauma-informed environment that supports the health and well-being of families.
Located in one of New York City’s most diverse neighborhoods, Magnolia Gardens was designed to reflect and serve the Flushing community. Multilingual staff provide 24-hour family-centered services including case management, housing navigation, job readiness training, financial coaching, and therapeutic support to help families transition to permanent housing.
Magnolia Gardens is also supported by a Housing Services & Retention Collaborative led by AAFE and URI, which works to increase awareness of transitional housing opportunities and help eligible families navigate the city’s intake and housing systems. The Collaborative brings together AAPI-serving nonprofit organizations across Flushing to strengthen access to culturally responsive housing supports for families with children. Participating organizations include Chinese-American Planning Council, Korean American Family Service Center, Garden of Hope, Womankind, Korean Community Services, Child Center of NY, South Asian Council for Social Services, Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, YMCA-Flushing, and YWCA-Flushing. Collaborative members refer families in need of transitional housing and participate in community outreach efforts to ensure families know how to access available resources.
In addition, the project includes the creation of a Community Advisory Board (CAB) made up of local residents, nonprofit partners, and community stakeholders. The CAB will meet regularly to provide feedback on operations, discuss community priorities, and help ensure Magnolia Gardens remains responsive to the needs of Flushing’s diverse neighborhoods.
“Magnolia Gardens is a bold and innovative response to the persistent housing crisis in New York City and the desperate need in our community for high quality transitional housing,” said Thomas Yu, Executive Director of Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE). “The need was demonstrated once again last month when our elected officials approached AAFE to partner on potential housing options for residents displaced by a devastating fire in Elmhurst, Queens. Two years ago, AAFE established a navigation program, with services in Chinese and Korean, to help families with children access Magnolia Gardens and other transitional housing opportunities. We are looking forward to working with our community partners and elected officials to ensure this program is sustainable and has the resources required to meet the needs of Flushing’s most vulnerable families.”
“Magnolia Gardens demonstrates what is possible when strong public and community partnerships meet thoughtful policy and design,” said Lauren Schuster, Chief External Affairs Officer at URI. “By combining the City’s commitment to expanding housing access, AAFE’s decades of housing leadership and multilingual engagement, and URI’s expertise in survivor-centered, trauma-informed care, we are raising the standard for transitional housing in New York City. This project creates real pathways to permanent housing and economic independence in a space that reflects the cultural richness of the community it serves.”
Angela Thompson, Senior Vice President of Housing Initiatives at URI, added, “Every detail, from apartment-style layouts to integrated on-site services, was built with dignity and forward movement in mind.”
“Achieving Passive House certification for a transitional shelter is a major milestone,” said Charles Carroll, Senior Vice President of Asset Management at URI. “The building’s energy efficiency, air quality, and resiliency features create a healthier environment for families while reducing long-term operating costs and environmental impact. This is the future of responsible shelter development.”
Families are referred through the city’s intake system, with priority placement for Queens-based families to maintain school continuity and community ties.
The opening of Magnolia Gardens reinforces URI’s commitment to expanding permanent and affordable housing pathways across New York City and advancing humane, inclusive, and environmentally responsible shelter models.
The Korean American Family Service Center Executive Director Jeehae Fischer stated “The Korean American Family Service Center (KAFSC) is proud to support Magnolia Gardens and to partner with AAFE in bringing this important project to life. AAFE has long been a longstanding partner of KAFSC and a trusted leader in advancing housing and community development that responds to the needs of immigrant and working-class families, and Magnolia Gardens reflects that deep commitment. For vulnerable women trying to leave abusive homes, access to in-language, culturally relevant navigation can make the difference between remaining in danger and finding a path toward safety, stability, and independence. Referrals from trusted nonprofits serving vulnerable families must also be taken seriously, because they are often the bridge to stability. As part of the Housing Services and Retention Collaborative, KAFSC is committed to work alongside partners like AAFE to ensure survivors have not only access to housing, but the support they need to rebuild their lives with dignity.”
“With more than 85,000 New Yorkers, including nearly 30,000 children, currently living in city homeless shelter, we must move with a sense of urgency in building homes for those in need of one the most. That’s why I’m so excited to help cut the ribbon on the new Magnolia Gardens complex in Flushing,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “Welcome home to the 90 families moving into Magnolia Gardens and thank you to our partners at Asian Americans for Equality and the Urban Resource Institute for their commitment to building high-quality and culturally competent supportive housing.”
“It is critical that our solutions to address homelessness and support survivors of domestic violence, are compassionate, innovative, and inclusive. Magnolia Gardens represents a meaningful step forward by providing families with safe, supportive housing while recognizing the importance of keeping loved ones—both human and animal—together. I commend the Urban Resource Institute, the New York City Department of Homeless Services, and Asian Americans for Equality for their partnership in creating a culturally responsive, trauma-informed space that will help families in Queens move toward stability, healing, and permanent housing,” said New York State Senator Roxanne J. Persaud.
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About Urban Resource Institute:
Urban Resource Institute (URI) is a pioneering organization that transforms the lives of domestic violence survivors and homeless families by empowering individuals, families and communities to break free from cycles of domestic violence, homelessness, poverty and trauma. As the largest provider of domestic violence shelter services in the U.S. and a leading advocate for homeless services, URI impacts over 40,000 individuals annually through prevention, intervention, education and direct services in both residential and non-residential settings in New York. URI is recognized as a thought-leader with influence across the U.S. and beyond. For more information, visit www.urinyc.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. For immediate assistance, please call NYC’s 24-hour Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-621-HOPE or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE.
About Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE):
Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE) advances racial, social and economic justice for all, regardless of background, through affordable housing development and management, an array of community services, small business lending and grassroots advocacy. AAFE has been an anchor in the Flushing community for more than 30 years, providing access to government entitlement programs, affordable health care, senior and youth programs and multilingual immigration services. AAFE co-developed One Flushing, the largest 100% affordable housing project in the Flushing community in decades. AAFE’s affiliate, Renaissance Economic Development Corporation, has dispersed millions of dollars in low-interest loans and grants to low-income and immigrant small businesses. For more information, please visit www.aafe.org.
About the Department of Social Services (DSS):
The Department of Social Services, comprised of the Human Resources Administration (HRA) and the Department of Homeless Services (DHS), serves millions of New Yorkers annually through a broad range of services that aim to address poverty, income inequality, and prevent homelessness. HRA serves over three million New Yorkers through the administration of more than 15 major public assistance programs. DHS oversees a broad network of shelters, services, and outreach programs dedicated to helping New Yorkers experiencing homelessness get back on their feet. DSS is central to the City’s mission to expand opportunities for more New Yorkers, address income inequality, help New Yorkers experiencing homelessness stabilize their lives, and ensure that vulnerable New Yorkers receive the benefits and assistance to which they may be entitled.
