Last year, Odyssey House opened Soundview Avenue, a NewYork State Office of Mental Health-funded supportive housing building that provides permanent housing in the Bronx for 56 single, low income adults living with special needs. To mark our one-year anniversary of providing services, we held a breakfast for our tenants, neighbors, and community partners.

We had a great turnout from the community, including representatives from the 43^rd Precinct Community Council, the Soundview Residence Council, Urban Health Plan, and Leake & Watts. Dr. Sidney Hargrave, vice chair of the Bronx Community Board #9, said, “Odyssey House has been a partner with Community Board 9 for years. Thank you for being a beacon in this community. This is one of the best residences in our district.”

 Ruth S., a tenant who moved into Soundview Avenue in January 2014, addressed the crowd to talk about her experiences in the shelter system and how her life has turned around since moving in: “I felt insecure, hopeless and sad all the time – I isolated myself and my mental illness worsened. It’s comforting to have my independence back and stability in my life. Odyssey House has made me feel better; for the past year, I have felt safe.”