Harbor House at The YWCA
Location: Schenectady, NY
Client: Xenolith Partners, YWCA North Eastern NY
Type: Supportive Housing
Size: 39,965 SF
Units: 54 (new) and 42 (adaptive reuse)
This 100% supportive development on YWCA NorthEastern New York’s (YWCA NENY) campus in Schenectady is designed to meet the needs of those most frequently served by the organization–survivors of domestic violence. It will comprise a new 54-unit building for women, with fifty studios designed for individuals and four two-bedrooms to accommodate small families, and the historically sensitive adaptive reuse of YWCA NENY’s existing building, which will provide 42 SRO units with ensuite bathrooms.
The development is located in the Stockade Historic District, a walkable neighborhood that is well-served by public transportation, access to employment and educational opportunities, restaurants, grocery stores, municipal services, and parks.
The team embraced a community engagement process for over two years to ensure that the final result was a well-received addition to the historic district.
The new building uses trauma-informed design principles to create a sense of safety, support, and community. This includes an abundance of natural light and view corridors to provide residents with visual connection to the outdoors; layers of semi-private and semi-public common spaces; and an even distribution of supportive services across all floors of the building.
