page_title: Breaking Ground
section_title: Current residences
hierarchical_section_title: Breaking Ground / Current residences
caption_attribution_description: English: The Times Square Exterior 2
context_page_description: Breaking Ground, formerly Common Ground, is a nonprofit social services organization in New York City whose goal is to create high-quality permanent and transitional housing for the homeless. Its philosophy holds that supportive housing costs substantially less than homeless shelters — and many times less than jail cells or hospital rooms, and that people with psychiatric and other problems can better manage them once they are permanently housed and provided with services. Since its founding in 1990 by Rosanne Haggerty, the organization has created more than 5,000 units of housing for the homeless. "This is about creating a small town, rather than just a building," according to Haggerty. "It's about a real mixed society, working with many different people." Haggerty left the organization in 2011 to found Community Solutions, Inc. Brenda Rosen was promoted from Director, Housing Operations and Programs to Executive Director, and has led the organization since.
  Breaking Ground began by rehabilitating the Times Square Hotel Street, which opened in 1991. It went on to restore other historic properties including the Prince George Hotel, opened in 1999.
context_section_description: As of 2019 Breaking Ground has 24 buildings with 4,103 units.
caption: The Times Square Hotel
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